INTER-KOREAN LIAISON OFFICE TEMPORARILY SHUT

[Anchor Lead]

South and North Korea have temporarily shut down the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. All South Korean officials were withdrawn from the office on Thursday night.

[Pkg]

Dozens of vehicles cross the Unification Bridge one by one. They are carrying South Korean officials from the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong. As concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus keep growing, the two Koreas decided to temporarily shut down the office.

[Soundbite] LEE SANG-MIN(SPOKESPERSON, MINISTRY OF UNIFICATION) : "The South and the North have agreed to temporarily suspend the liaison office until the risk of the novel coronavirus is eliminated completely."

All 58 South Korean officials and their aides were withdrawn from Kaesong on Thursday evening. The two Koreas agreed to keep in touch via separate phone and fax lines between Seoul and Pyongyang. It's the first suspension of the office since its opening in September 2018. Sources say it was the North that requested the measure first. North Korea declared a national quarantine emergency on January 28 to prevent the coronavirus from penetrating the country. The North is also reportedly preparing to suspend the operations of planes, trains and ships arriving in North Korea from China and Russia.

[Soundbite] LIM EUL-CHUL(PROF., KYUNGNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY) : "It's not surprising that North Korea is trying to block every traffic route, because infectious diseases can be fatal for its people given its vulnerable quarantine system."

North Korea has been broadcasting TV programs about the novel coronavirus outbreaks overseas to raise awareness among its citizens.