South Korea restarts panmunjom joint security area Korean side tour

Panmunjom, China News Service, May 1 (Reporter Zeng Nai) South Korea restarted the Panmunjom Common Security District Korean side of the tour activities on May 1.

Since the armistice of the Korean War, the North and the South, based on the military demarcation line, have retreated south and north to form demilitarized zones and established joint garrisons; In recent years, South Korea has opened parts of the Common Security District to the public, and tourists can visit under restrictions such as following groups.

Data chart: On October 25, 2018, the Two Koreas completed the disarmament of the Panmunjom Common Security Zone. According to the < Panmunjom Declaration signed by the ROK in September this year > the Agreement on the Implementation of the Military Field, korean and Korean citizens and foreign tourists can freely enter and leave the area from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day after the joint garrison is disarmed. Photo courtesy of the South Korean Ministry of National Defense

Last year, the two Koreas signed a military agreement that would promote the free movement of tourists from the common garrison. The South Korean side suspended the tour of the joint garrison area in October last year. After months of negotiations, the Two Koreas have not agreed on opening up free passage for tourists. On May 1, South Korea resumed visits to the Korean side of the Panmunjom Common Security Zone.

According to the information provided by the "joint interview team", the South Korean side restarted the joint security zone visit project and added a number of new open areas, including a hiking bridge where South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un met in April last year for private talks. In addition, visitors can also visit the "Freedom House" located in the demilitarized zone, and the tree planting site at the summit meeting between the two Koreas.

Lieutenant Colonel Sean Morrow of the US military, a US-led "United Nations Command", said at the scene that last year, the "United Nations Command" and the ROK and the DPRK withdrew guns, ammunition and other weapons and equipment from the common security zone.

South Korean Ministry of National Defense spokesman Choi Hyun-so said that the restart of the Joint Garrison Area South Korean side tour is to hope that tourists can experience the peaceful atmosphere of Panmunjom here. South Korea's Ministry of National Defense said that this move is also to achieve free tourist exchanges between the ROK and the DPRK in the common garrison area in the future, and to make advance preparations; it will continue to consult with the DPRK on this issue. (End)