(Baonghean.vn) - Panmunjom village is called the 'truce village', but for over 50 years, this sensitive area has been considered the most dangerous place on the Korean peninsula.
 |
| Located in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) on the Korean peninsula, Panmunjom village is considered one of the last vestiges of the Cold War. Photo: Getty. |
 |
| Panmunjom is popularly known as the Truce Village. Seoul and Pyongyang signed an armistice agreement in 1953 at Panmunjom, located 55 km north of Seoul. Technically, the two sides are still at war because they have not signed a peace treaty. Pictured is the North Korean flagpole in the area. Photo: AP. |
 |
| Although it is a demilitarized zone, the strip of land dividing the two Koreas is equipped with the most complete weapons in the world such as underground concrete fortifications, mines, barbed wire fences, anti-tank obstacles along the border, a series of observation stations as well as machine gun emplacements on the hills... Photo: Getty. |
 |
| This area has no civilians living there, instead there is a dense presence of soldiers from both countries, who guard the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea day and night. Photo: AP. |
 |
| About 1 km east of the village is a cluster of blue one-story buildings called the Joint Security Area (JSA), which has been controlled by both South Korean and North Korean soldiers since the end of the Korean War in 1953. Photo: Getty. |
 |
| Here, soldiers from both sides stand just a few meters apart. They can stand at a distance and quietly observe each other, but they have never been allowed to cross the border since the 1976 clash that killed two American soldiers. |
 |
| North Korean soldiers stand guard at the Joint Security Area. Photo: AP. |
 |
| Many US leaders have visited the inter-Korean demilitarized zone. Most recently, Vice President Mike Pence visited on April 16, 2017. The event attracted attention when a high-ranking US political leader visited the area while the situation on the Korean peninsula was tense. Photo: AP. |
 |
| Although considered a potential flashpoint that could spark conflict between the two Koreas, Panmunjom also serves as a bridge between North and South Korea, with the Joint Security Area being where officials from both sides meet to ease tensions. Most recently, there were government-level talks between the two countries in late 2015. Photo: AP. |
 |
| South Korea on July 17, 2017 proposed holding military talks with North Korea to prevent hostile activities near the border area, following a series of recent missile tests by North Korea. If held, the meeting would take place in Panmunjom. Photo: AP. |
Kim Ngoc
(Synthetic)
