The ‘Truce Village’ between North and South Korea

The World
A concrete border is seen as a South Korean soldier stands guard at the truce village of Panmunjom, South Korea July 19, 2017

Next week, top officials from both South Korea and North Korea will be going to a village in the demilitarized zone called Panmunjom to discuss the Winter Olympics.

Panmunjom is historic.

It's where the armistice was signed in 1953 that brought fighting in the Korean War to an end.

Now, it’s become a tourist destination — although a dangerous one — known to some as ''the most tense place on the planet.''

It’s one of the only places where soldiers from the North and South stand face-to-face.

Before entering, visitors have to sign a waiver stating that they understand this visit “will entail entry into a hostile area and the possibility of injury or death."

But Isaac Stone Fish, a senior fellow at the Asia Society, who has made the trip many times over the past several years, says the trip is well worth it.

There’s a golf course, dubbed “the most dangerous golf course in the world,” a gift shop and a famous conference room with a line through it demarcating the border between North and South.

Invest in independent global news

The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!