A separated family reunion center in Mount Geumgang tourist zone / Courtesy of Ministry of Unification

North Korea is demolishing a reunion center for families separated by the Korean War, located in the Mount Geumgang resort. The center was originally built with funds from the South Korean government, the Unification Ministry said Thursday.

"We deeply regret North Korea's demolition of the separated family reunion center in the Mount Geumgang tourist zone, which was constructed as part of an agreement between the two Koreas. We strongly urge North Korea to halt this demolition immediately," Koo Byoung-sam, a spokesperson for the ministry, said in a press briefing.

"This is an inhumane act that disregards the heartfelt wishes of separated families and represents a serious violation of our national property," Koo said.

Data shows that out of 134,291 South Koreans who originally registered for government-arranged reunions, only 36,941 remain alive as of December.

This demolition is the latest in a series of similar actions by North Korea at the Mount Geumgang resort, which was established in 2002 to facilitate family reunions and encourage visits by outsiders to the scenic region in the North.

In May 2024, North Korea also demolished a fire station in the area, which had been built with money from the South Korean government.

Recent satellite images revealed that the rooftop and supporting structure of the facility have been partially removed since late last year.

The 12-story building, completed in July 2008, features 206 rooms and banquet facilities for hosting meetings. It was used for family reunions on five occasions — September 2009, October 2010, February 2014, October 2015 and August 2018. However, since the 2019 Hanoi summit between the U.S. and North Korea ended in failure, the building has been left unused and unattended.

Unification ministry spokesperson Koo Byoung-sam speaks during a press briefing in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

The unification ministry also pledged to consider legal action in response to North Korea's violation of South Korea's property rights.

"All responsibilities arising from the incident should lie with North Korea. No matter how long it takes, the government will firmly hold North Korea accountable for an act that violates the property rights of our government and companies," Koo said, adding that the government spent 55 billion won ($38 million) to build the facility.

A senior unification ministry official said this can be seen as part of North Korea's ongoing efforts to erase references to reunification.

"It has been some time since the building was last used in 2018. As inter-Korean relations have worsened in recent years, North Korea appears to have concluded that it is no longer feasible to use the facility," the official said.

Experts said the move came as Pyongyang has been cutting off all ties with Seoul. North Korea officially labeled South Korea as a hostile state in its constitution in October last year, further straining the already tense relationship.

"This is part of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's ‘two hostile states' stance. Kim also felt betrayed by South Korea when attempts to restart inter-Korean projects were never realized," Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies, said.

In 2019, Kim Jong-un ordered the removal of South Korean-built facilities at the Mount Geumgang resort, claiming they were "shabby" and needed to be rebuilt.

Under the Moon Jae-in administration, Kim had expressed a strong interest in restarting inter-Korean tourism projects, seeing them as a potential key source of income for his cash-strapped country. However, Seoul's efforts to revive these projects were never realized, largely due to Washington's reluctance to lift international sanctions.

However, experts said demolishing a South Korea-built property is a clear violation of inter-Korean agreements and international norms.

"From a humanitarian perspective, destroying a facility for separated families raises grave concerns," Yang added.