An American soldier and a North Korean soldier photograph one another in Panmunjom on the 38th parallel in the DMZ, or demilitarized zone. This 2.5 miles wide, 156 miles long no man's land separates North and South Korea. The cease-fire village of Panmunjom was founded on July 27, 1953 and is where the Korean War armistice agreement was signed. South-North talks (MAC meetings) still take place here. In 1976 two American servicemen were hacked to death with axes by North Koreans and in 1983 a Russian tourist defected to the North triggering a gun battle that killed three North Koreans and one Korean soldier. There are an estimated 1.2 million soldiers in North Korea, the world's fifth-largest fighting force. Two-thirds of those soldiers are stationed within 60 miles of the DMZ. There are 37,000 U.S. soldiers stationed in South Korea.
A North Korean soldier is being observed by a South Korean soldier in Panmunjom on the 38th parallel in the DMZ, or demilitarized zone. The 2.5 miles wide, 156 miles long DMZ is a no man's land separating North and South Korea. The cease-fire village of Panmunjom was founded on July 27, 1953 and is where the Korean War armistice agreement was signed. South-North talks (MAC meetings) still take place here. In 1976 two American servicemen were hacked to death with axes by North Koreans and in 1983 a Russian tourist defected to the North triggering a gun battle that killed three North Koreans and one Korean soldier. There are an estimated 1.2 million soldiers in North Korea, the world's fifth-largest fighting force. Two-thirds of those soldiers are stationed within 60 miles of the DMZ. There are 37,000 U.S. soldiers stationed in South Korea.
The man came walking towards me, without a glance he passed by, and continued along the 140 km long highway. It was like the scene in Paris Texas when Harry Dean Stanton's character kept on walking. The highway connects Pyongyang in North Korea to the border with South Korea. There is virtually no traffic on this road. On the day this picture was taken,I counted to seven cars, of which two were driving on the wrong side of the road, but who cares.
