The government has decided to shut down an office in Seoul just 21 months after it opened in September 2016 to establish a North Korean human rights foundation.

The government decided to terminate the lease as a way to cut costs as the opening of the foundation has been long delayed due to squabbling between political parties.

After all was set, the Minjoo Party started shilly-shallying and refused to nominate the foundation's board members.

"We suffered a heavy financial burden because the rent was about W63 million in monthly rent for an empty office while the establishment of the foundation was delayed," the Unification Ministry said in a press release on Thursday (US$1=W1,083). "We had no choice but to terminate the contract."