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Panmunjom in South Korea

Panmunjom (판문점) is located in the central and western part of the Korean Peninsula, 5 kilometers south of the 38° north latitude line. It used to be a little-known place. On July 27, 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed here, and Panmunjom became famous in the world.

After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the dividing line between North and South Korea was at the 38th parallel at 38 degrees north latitude. After the Korean War, the Chinese People’s Volunteers and the Korean People’s Army pushed the demarcation line southward to today’s Panmunjom location. Panmunjom is a testimony to the Korean War and the division of the Korean Peninsula, and it is also the most sensitive frontline position for both Koreas today.

The atmosphere in Panmunjom has softened recently, and we sometimes greet the other side with ‘good morning’, smiling and nodding. “Sean Morrow, a US military lieutenant colonel stationed in the Panmunjom Joint Security Area, said of the changes here over the past year.

History Background

Panmunjom is located in the central and western part of the Korean Peninsula. On July 27, 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed here, and Panmunjom became famous in the world. After the Korean Armistice, North and South Korea built 24 buildings in this “joint security zone” with a diameter of about 800 meters. This is a small village on the Gyeongui Line on the banks of the Suncheon River in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. It is located 5 kilometers south of the 38° north latitude line and 8 kilometers southeast of Kaesong. The place where the 1953 Korean Armistice Negotiations were signed. It is now the site of the Special Committee on Liaison between the South and North Korea.

Previously, this little-known place got its name from the fact that Chinese representatives participating in the Korean War armistice marked the shops near the meeting place as “Panmunjom”. On July 27, 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed here, so Panmunjom is also known as the “armistice village”.

The Korean Armistice Negotiations began on July 10, 1951, in Laifengzhuang, a suburb of Kaesong controlled by the north, and moved to Panmunjom on the Military Demarcation Line on October 25, 1951. At that time, there were no buildings here, so we had to use some temporary military tents as the negotiation venue. The night before the armistice agreement was signed, engineers and technicians from the DPRK and China miraculously built a wooden hall with Korean national characteristics.

Today, the signature hall, together with the venue of the negotiation, has become a historic memorial site. For some time after the Korean armistice, Panmunjom remained as the meeting place for the Armistice Commission.

On August 7-8, 2007, a two-day meeting of the Economic and Energy Cooperation Working Group of the Six-Party Talks on the North Korean Nuclear Issue held a plenary meeting at the “House of Peace” on the South Korean side of Panmunjom.

Name Definition

The origin of “Panmunjom”: It was originally just a small mountain village. In order to facilitate the search of the representatives of the Chinese army at that time, a pub and a small grocery store was temporarily built with wooden boards near the meeting place, and the sign “Panmunjom” written in Chinese characters was hung. , since then the place was named Panmunjom.

Strictly speaking, Panmunjom is the geographical name of the place, and the “Common Guard Area” is the official name of the place. The North and South sides stipulate that the military demarcation line is the center and the circle is about 800 meters in radius. A special area of ​​the jurisdiction.

Before 1976, the guards of the two sides in JSA could have come and go freely. Later, due to the “Panmunjom Incident” on August 18, 1976, a cement line with a width of 50 cm and a height of 5 cm was set up above the military demarcation line. , stipulating that the guards and sergeants of both sides should not take a step. The two sides will resume joint security from mid-November 2018.

Tourist Attraction

Now Panmunjom has become a tourist spot for foreign tourists. Most of the guests who visit the north are usually arranged to visit Panmunjom. South Korea also uses Panmunjom as a tourist route. However, tourists who come here for sightseeing are not allowed to wear jeans, sandals, shorts or sportswear, etc., and their hair must be neat. Failure to comply with the above provisions may result in accusations by the other party. In addition, tourists are not allowed to move around freely. The vehicle you take also needs to change to the special car of the Joint Security Zone at the Boniface Barracks on the periphery, and can enter Panmunjom only after passing through two gendarmerie checkpoints.

Foreign leaders also visit here whenever they have the chance. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, German Chancellor Kohl, and former Australian Prime Minister Keating have all visited the South Korean side of Panmunjom. On July 11, 1993, U.S. President Clinton arrived at the “Bridge of No Return”, which is just a step away from North Korea.