Travel Guide Panmunjeom 판문점

Panmunjeom was the name of an ancient village in the middle of the demilitarized zone. Today, it's the site of the JSA (Joint Security Area). It's certainly an incongruous and disturbing visit. On arrival, you are taken to a 2-storey pavilion, the Freedom House, from where you can admire the northern buildings opposite. The Dongilgak was surpassed in height in 1989 by the South's Peace House. In response, the North Koreans added a third floor to their Panmungak, the equivalent of the South's Freedom House. You are then taken to the MAC building, which is nothing more than a small, unpretentious prefabricated hall, but where meetings are held. They don't lead to much most of the time, but this place is very important in the event of an "incident", as it's where disputes and tensions are settled. You are allowed to enter the building, which is guarded inside and out by soldiers from both sides, facing each other, motionless. You can cross the border, which theoretically runs through the middle of the room, and return to the South. The flags in the middle of the table were also the object of a struggle between the two countries, as each wanted its flag higher than the other. Finally, they reached such a height that they no longer fit in the room. An agreement had to be reached to limit their size! Under no circumstances should you make any inappropriate gestures towards the northern soldiers. You are then taken to an observation post from which you can see the North. You see a model village called the "propaganda village" by the South. It is said that all the buildings are just facades, that the smoke coming out of the chimneys is a decoy, that the inhabitants come from Gaeseong, brought by bus in the morning and brought back in the evening, and play at living here. We don't know if this too is propaganda, but the messages broadcast all over the mountain by loudspeakers certainly are. They're trying to demoralize South Korean soldiers and get them to defect to the North. Huge anti-American or pro-Communist slogans are written on the hillsides. The South plays classical music... You may well come away stunned by this surreal visit.If you need more, you can join a guided tour of the third infiltration tunnel. Dug under the DMZ and discovered in 1978, it is 1.6 km long and 2 m high. It was capable of opening the way to the South to one armed division per hour. The first tunnel was discovered by chance in 1974, and research revealed 3 more in 1975, 1978 and 1990. It is believed that the North dug other tunnels. After visiting the tunnel, where there's nothing to see but soldiers guarding the track, you can get a good overview of North Korea from the Dora Observatory. There are binoculars for observing life in the "Propaganda Village". The South Korean equivalent of the latter is also in this area and part of the tour. Daeseongdong, or the village of reunification, is inhabited by villagers who have decided to stay in their homeland despite the dangers involved. They are subject to a curfew and numerous controls on their movements. In return, they are favored over other farmers. It remains an incredible, unmissable visit back in time.