The DMZ has is the 2.4 mile area between North and South Korea. It's supposed to be Demilitarized, but it happens to be one of the most--if not the most--heavily militarized areas in the world. The Joint Security Area is an important location in the DMZ where talks are held, people meet to pray to their ancestors (who are buried on the other side), and people have been released into freedom.
First, a quick look at the Joint Security Area, because these are where many of the early attacks took place. The Joint Security Area (JSA) or Panmunjom, often called the "Truce Village" in both the media and various military accounts, represents the only portion of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) where South and North Korean forces stand face-to-face." (1) There are literally soldiers facing each other at 20 foot intervals.
North Korea
The Red Line is the Official DMZ demarkation line, and as you see, it goes through a couple buildings. These are the conference rooms where talks about peace and other such things take place. These are called the Blue Houses--because they are painted blue.
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| 2001 Panmungak |
Here is the South Korean observation Tower, called the Freedom House:
Also in the Joint Security Area is the Bridge of No Return. "It was used for prisoner exchanges at the end of the Korean War in 1953. The name originates from the claim that many POWs captured by the United States did not wish to return home. The prisoners were brought to the bridge and given the choice to remain in the country of their captivity or cross over to the other country. But if they chose to cross the bridge, they would never be allowed to return ... Because of this proximity to North Korean territory, being surrounded on all access routes by North Korean checkpoints, and repeated attempts to kidnap the UNC personnel working there, CP#3 was often referred to as "The Loneliest Outpost in the World". As of 2003, the bridge is considered in need of repair. According to a report on CNN, the US government has offered to fix the bridge or even replace it, but North Korea has denied permission." (2)
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| 1976 Panmungak |
Also in the Joint Security Area is the Bridge of No Return. "It was used for prisoner exchanges at the end of the Korean War in 1953. The name originates from the claim that many POWs captured by the United States did not wish to return home. The prisoners were brought to the bridge and given the choice to remain in the country of their captivity or cross over to the other country. But if they chose to cross the bridge, they would never be allowed to return ... Because of this proximity to North Korean territory, being surrounded on all access routes by North Korean checkpoints, and repeated attempts to kidnap the UNC personnel working there, CP#3 was often referred to as "The Loneliest Outpost in the World". As of 2003, the bridge is considered in need of repair. According to a report on CNN, the US government has offered to fix the bridge or even replace it, but North Korea has denied permission." (2)
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| There are security check points on either end of the bridge that house guards. |
The last time the bridge was used was in December 1968 when the crew of USS Pueblo was released from North Korea and able to walk to freedom. There were 82 members who were tortured, neglected, and malnutritioned by the KPA after their "electronic surveillance ship was attacked and seized by the DPRK" in January 1968. (3)
There have been many attacks within the Joint Security Area. Most of them took place in the 1960s and 70s.
From reading online, it seems like many of the incidents were antagonizations from the North. Soldiers would come up and hit someone, and then "melee" would insue. Some attacks were more thought out. For instance, there was event when North Korean "commandos" disguised as South Korean Soldiers tried to assassinate the South Korean President in the Blue House.
Perhaps one of the bigger incidents was the "Axe Murder Incident" in 1976. Two UN (two Americans) soldiers were cutting down a popular tree in the Joint Security Area because it obscured visability. It had been scheduled for previously that week, but due to rain it had been postponed. A North Korean captian demanded what was happening, and when the soldiers ignored the North Korean, he went and sent a runner to the Bridge of No Return to get "back-up" (aka a gang because they had crowbars and clubs). When the UN soldier again ignored the captain by turning his back, the North Koreans attacked. Using the axes that had been used to prune the tree, they killed the Americans. (3)
This incident was recorded by several cameras from various other outlook posts. I say this because a few hours later, North Korea released a report saying,
"Around 10:45 a.m. today, the American imperialist aggressors sent in 14 hoodlums with axes into the Joint Security Area to cut the trees on their own accord, although such a work should be mutually consented beforehand. Four persons from our side went to the spot to warn them not to continue the work without our consent. Against our persuasion, they attacked our guards en masse and committed a serious provocative act of beating our men, wielding murderous weapons and depending on the fact that they outnumbered us. Our guards could not but resort to self-defense measures under the circumstances of this reckless provocation."[7]
Yeah...
This incident is the reason the demarkation line is enforced throughout the entire JSA area. It should also be noted that, apparently, you can (or could) see the Axe in the North Korean Peace Musuem (3).
So, here is the popular tree:
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| Date: 1978 |
Then in 1987, the tree was officially cut down and a monument was put in its place.
This incident is the reason the demarkation line is enforced throughout the entire JSA area. It should also be noted that, apparently, you can see the Axe in the North Korean Peace Musuem.
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