North Korea Demolishes Reunification Center for Separated Families

seoul - North Korea's demolition of its reunification center for separated families raises tensions with South Korea.

North Korea Demolishes Reunification Center

North Korea has demolished its reunification center for families separated by the border with South Korea, signaling continued strained relations between the two nations. South Korea describes the dismantling of the facility near the border as 'inhumane' and urges Pyongyang to cease the action. The building, located in the Mount Kumgang resort and financed by South Korea in 2008, includes an event hall and over two hundred guest rooms.

The Korean peninsula was divided in the 1950s by the Korean War, which has not officially ended. Emotional family reunions between relatives from the North and South have sporadically occurred over the decades, with the most recent ones taking place in August 2018.

Relations between the Koreas have significantly deteriorated in recent years. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared South Korea as 'the number one enemy' last year and stated that his regime no longer seeks reunification.