Power transmission towers in Kaesong collapsed

The South Korean government released footage on Tuesday showing power transmission towers collapsing in the Kaesong Industrial Complex in North Korea. This follows the North Korean military’s removal of wires late last month, which caused several towers, already standing on unstable ground, to fall into a domino effect. The South Korean government is now considering countermeasures in response to North Korea’s infringement on South Korean-owned assets in the Kaesong Complex and at the Mt. Kumgang resort.

The video, shared by the Ministry of Unification, shows four out of 15 transmission towers, built and owned by the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), being demolished consecutively. According to a government official, the collapse was caused by additional wire cutting, which was detected by South Korean surveillance assets on November 24.

The footage also captured a North Korean soldier falling from one of the towers while working on the wires. A Unification Ministry official noted that this incident highlights the poor working conditions and lack of basic safety measures for North Korean workers.

KEPCO had invested 4.19 billion won between April 2006 and October 2007 to construct the transmission towers. The power supply through these towers has fluctuated over the years, depending on the state of inter-Korean relations. However, operations ceased entirely in June 2020, following North Korea’s demolition of the Inter-Korean Liaison Office.

Currently, North Korea is reportedly operating 40 factories in the Kaesong Industrial Complex that are owned by South Korean companies. It has also begun dismantling other South Korean-owned facilities, including a golf course clubhouse and hot spring villages.

In a related development, the South Korean government has completed a legal review regarding the repayment of loans issued for the construction of the Gyeongui Line and the Donghae Line. These railway and road connection projects, which involved an investment of $132.9 million in kind, were recently destroyed by North Korea. The explosions are seen as an indication of North Korea’s intent to forgo repayment of the loans. In response, South Korea is exploring measures to demand repayment from Pyongyang.


Kyu-Jin Shin newjin@donga.com