Panmunjom, A Divided Nation, United by History

Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC), Bridge of No Return, Kaesong, Hwanghaebuk do, North Korea

Worth visiting places

4.5

Introduction

The village of Panmunjom, located on the 38th parallel between North Korea and South Korea, is famous for the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953. The name Panmunjom comes from a nearby small grocery store that sold cigarettes. Along with the Berlin Wall, Panmunjom is considered a symbol of the Cold War. Panmunjom is approximately 60 kilometers from Seoul and approximately 215 kilometers from Pyongyang. It is the only land passage between North and South Korea. The Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, which is supervised by Switzerland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Poland, is located here. In addition to meeting rooms, Panmunjom also has facilities such as the House of Peace in South Korea and the Unification Observatory in North Korea. The area is known as the Joint Security Area (JSA) with a diameter of 800 meters, guarded by both the United Nations Forces and North Korean forces. On October 31, 2006, the United States formally transferred the security mission of the area to South Korea. Under long-term military control, the area around Panmunjom representing the Korean demilitarized zone has few residents. Therefore, the natural ecological environment has not been affected by interference from the outside world, and there are many wild flora and fauna species living and breeding. There are plans to include it in an international ecological preservation area.

Address

Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC), Bridge of No Return, Kaesong, Hwanghaebuk do, North Korea

Opening hours

Not open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays.

Transportation

Can only be reached by joining a guided tour.