What is the significance of Panmunjom?
1 Answer
It sits on the border between North and South Korea, and was the site of peace talks during the Korean War.
Explanation:
Panmunjom is a border village (with no actual residents) straight North of Incheon and relatively close to Seoul. It is within the Demilitarized Zone, and various tour agencies offer trips there from Seoul hotels. It is near a commercial facility that is the only place I know of where North and South Koreans work together, and a white building (known today as the Peace Museum) that was famously the site of peace talks during the Korean War.
Inside that white building is a room that is half in North Korea and half in South. Two soldiers from each country stand guard there, and for tourists visiting from outside, it is the only opportunity to set foot (and not much more than a foot) in the Hermit Kingdom without several months of planning and visa paperwork.
One episode of MASH was set there, although the village was frequently mentioned on that shoe.
