Demilitarized Zone (Korea)

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The _demilitarized zone (red band), in the middle the demarcation line (black line). The horizontal line is the 38th parallel. For the situation in Korea, see the Korean Peninsula with the section drawn in at the bottom right.

The demilitarized zone ( DMZ ) is a demilitarized zone . It divides the Korean Peninsula into North and South Korea . It was established after the three-year Korean War in 1953 and runs from west-southwest to east-northeast across the peninsula, intersecting the 38th parallel north of Seoul , which was the border between the two states until the outbreak of war. It is 150 miles long and about four miles wide. The Military Demarcation Line (MDL) , the border between North and South Korea, runs through it .

The DMZ is established by the ceasefire agreement concluded in Panmunjeom on July 27, 1953 between the UN and North Korea . The Armistice Commission MAC (from English Military Armistice Commission ) administers the DMZ and consists of representatives from both sides. Entering the DMZ without the approval of the Armistice Commission is strictly prohibited for both sides. The Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) supports the ceasefire agreement with monitoring, observation, inspection and investigation. In particular, it ensures that no further foreign troops and military equipment are imported into Korea. The neutral states mentioned in the name of the Commission are Sweden and Switzerland for South Korea, Poland and Czechoslovakia for North Korea. Their soldiers were stationed on the appropriate side of the border. After the fall of the Iron Curtain , the Poles and Czechs were withdrawn in 1993 at the instigation of North Korea. To this day, five Swiss and five Swedish soldiers each are stationed in Panmunjeom for the NNSC , Poland only occasionally takes part in meetings - now also in South Korea.

designation

In addition to the general term demilitarized zone (EMZ), the term demilitarized zone (DMZ) has established itself as a synonym under the influence of English demilitarized zone . The term demilitarized zone is particularly common in the zone between North and South Korea .

Section of the Korean Peninsula with the DMZ (yellow band)

history

overview

Dorasan, the last train station before the border.

After the Second World War ended in 1945 with the surrender of Japan , the Chosen Province , which corresponded to the area of Korea , which had been incorporated and colonized by the Japanese Empire since 1910 , was divided by the victorious powers into two zones of occupation along the 38th parallel. The south was occupied by US troops and the north came under the control of the Red Army .

When states were proclaimed in 1948, first in the south and a few months later in the north, which claimed the entire Korean Peninsula, the conflict escalated into the Korean War in 1950. In the 1953 ceasefire agreement, the establishment of a demilitarized zone was agreed that separates the two states.

In the DMZ there were always direct conflicts. Alongside a series of raids and defections by both sides, a dispute in 1976 over the felling of a tree at the MDL in the course of which two US soldiers were killed by the North Korean People's Army was a serious incident. In the period from 1974 to 1990, a total of four tunnels were found that were dug from the north under the DMZ to the south; possibly to transport military units unmolested through the DMZ in the event of war. It is believed that there are other tunnels that have not yet been discovered. Today, individual tunnel entrances can be visited by tourists.

The Pyongyang-Kaesŏng expressway has been connecting the capital of North Korea directly with the border area since April 15, 1992.

Chronology of important incidents at the DMZ

  • October 1966 - October 1969: Battles along the DMZ result in the deaths of 43 Americans, 299 South Koreans and 397 North Koreans.
  • January 17, 1968: 31 North Korean commandos cross the DMZ disguised as South Korean soldiers to carry out the "Blue House Raid", an attempt to assassinate South Korean President Park Chung Hee in his official residence, the Blue House . The mission fails, killing 29 commandos (one commits suicide) and capturing the other two. On the South Korean side, two police officers and five civilians are killed by the commandos. Other reports suggest up to 68 South Koreans killed and 66 wounded. Three American soldiers are killed and three others wounded when they prevented the commandos from escaping through the DMZ.
  • October 1968: 130 North Korean commandos invade the South Korean province of Gangwon-do near Ulchin and Samcheok . Eventually 110 of them are killed, 7 captured and 13 escaped.
  • March 1969: Six North Korean intruders cross the border near Chumunjin in Gangwon-do and kill a South Korean policeman on patrol.
  • April 1970: Three North Korean invaders die and five South Korean soldiers are wounded in an armed clash near Kumchon in South Korea's Gyeonggi-do Province.
  • November 20, 1974: The first of a series of North Korean infiltration tunnels under the DMZ is discovered. The American-South Korean investigation team set off a North Korean booby trap, killing one US soldier and injuring six other soldiers.
Sign on the demarcation line
(photo from 1993)
NKPA soldiers in the DMZ (1998)
  • March 1975: The second North Korean infiltration tunnel is discovered.
  • June 1976: Three North Korean invaders and six South Korean soldiers are killed in a clash south of the eastern half of the DMZ. Another six South Korean soldiers are injured.
  • August 18, 1976: A conflict over the felling of a tree in the neutral zone of the Joint Security Area leads to the death of two US soldiers. Four more and five South Korean soldiers are wounded.
  • July 14, 1977: An American CH-47 Chinook helicopter is shot down after entering North Korean airspace near the DMZ. Three members of the crew are killed and the fourth is temporarily captured.
  • October 1978: The third North Korean infiltration tunnel is discovered.
  • October 1979: Three North Korean agents are caught trying to cross the DMZ in the eastern sector. One of the agents is killed.
  • December 6, 1979: A US patrol in the DMZ accidentally leaves the neutral zone and ends up in a North Korean minefield. One soldier is killed and four soldiers are wounded.
  • March 1980: Three North Korean invaders are killed while trying to get south at the mouth of the Han River .
  • March 1981: Three North Korean intruders are caught near Kumhwa , Gangwon-do Province, one of them killed.
  • July 1981: Three North Korean invaders are killed in the upper reaches of the Imjin River.
  • May 1982: Two North Korean intruders are caught on the east coast, one of them killed.
  • March 1990: The fourth North Korean infiltration tunnel is discovered.
  • May 1992: Three North Korean invaders dressed in South Korean uniforms are killed at Cheorwon in Gangwon-do. Three South Koreans are wounded.
  • December 17, 1994: An American Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopter penetrates about 10 km into North Korean territory and is shot down.
  • October 1995: Two North Korean invaders are caught on the Imjin River. One is killed, the other escapes.
  • April 1996: Several hundred armed North Korean soldiers enter the DMZ in the Joint Security Area and three other locations, violating the ceasefire.
  • May 1996. Seven North Korean soldiers cross the DMZ, but withdraw when they are shot at by South Korean soldiers.
  • April 1997: Five North Korean soldiers cross the DMZ near Cheorwon and shell South Korean positions.
  • July 16, 1997: Heavy fire exchange between North and South Korean soldiers in a mountainous area, use of artillery. Several wounded on the North Korean side.
  • October 26, 2000: The crews of two American airplanes watch a South Korean unit accidentally cross the DMZ during an exercise.
  • June 29, 2002: A South Korean speedboat catches fire and sinks in a sea battle in the Yellow Sea. A North Korean boat also catches fire and is believed to have been destroyed as well.
  • May 26, 2006: Two North Korean soldiers invade the DMZ to cross. They withdraw after warning shots are fired from the South Korean side.
  • October 7, 2006: South Korean soldiers fire warning shots after five North Korean soldiers broke into the DMZ.
  • October 2, 2007: South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun crossed the border and the demilitarized zone on foot with historical symbolism and on the same day took part in a summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang .
  • October 27, 2009: A South Korean pig farmer, who is being wanted, cuts a hole in the border fence of the DMZ and flees to North Korea.
  • October 29, 2010: Two shots were fired from North Korea at a South Korean outpost near Hwacheon, the South Koreans responded with three shots.
  • October 6, 2012: An 18-year-old North Korean private escapes to South Korea. He crossed the DMZ without being spotted and first had to knock on the door of a South Korean barracks to attract attention. The soldier later tells South Korean investigators that he fled after killing two of his superiors.
  • November 13, 2017: On November 22, 2017, it is announced that a North Korean soldier fled across the border into South Korea on November 13. He was pursued and shot by North Korean soldiers.
Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump at their meeting on the demarcation line
  • June 30, 2019: US President Donald Trump and North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un meet in Panmunjeom for a conversation. Trump is the first incumbent US President to step on North Korean soil across the border with South Korea.
  • May 3, 2020: In the demilitarized zone, there was an exchange of fire near the border town of Cheorwon . There were no victims on the South Korean side.

Settlements

Military settlement

The Joint Security Area , where the armistice agreement was signed in 1953, is located in the DMZ . The Joint Security Area is also the headquarters of the MAC Armistice Commission . Negotiations between the two sides have taken place there since the end of the Korean War.

  • Border in Panmunjeom as seen from North Korea

  • Post on the demarcation line

  • Border in Panmunjeom from the perspective of South Korea

Villages

The North Korean flag over Kijŏng-dong. At 160 m high, this is the fourth tallest flagpole in the world, the flag alone weighs 270 kg.

There are also two small villages:

Daeseong-dong ("village of great success") - the American military prefers the term Freedom Village ("freedom village ") - is located on the south side of the MDL. It is a traditional village and is tightly controlled by the South Korean government. Only those who lived there when the armistice was signed in 1953 or are descended from one of these residents are allowed to live there. The residents are no longer allowed to leave their homes when it gets dark, but in return they receive a number of discounts; among other things, they are exempt from military service and do not have to pay any direct taxes. Daeseong-dong also has the Daeseong-dong Elementary School.

On the North Korean side is Kijŏng-dong ("Peace Village "). It is considered a "propaganda village", in which mainly North Korean soldiers are said to be. In the past, North Korean propaganda was broadcast from there via loudspeakers in the South Korean direction.

nature

Apart from the aforementioned settlements and a large number of land mines , anti-tank traps and barbed wire fences , the DMZ is largely untouched by humans. Since nobody is allowed to stay in the DMZ without the express permission of the MAC, a natural fauna and flora ( primeval forest ) could develop within decades . In the DMZ is rare and protected animals such as the hold -crowned crane , white-naped crane , black vulture , black-faced spoonbill , Asiatic and possibly even the Siberian Tiger on.

There is a DMZ Forum, an initiative that proposes the DMZ by their nature in the UNESCO - World Heritage and the Peace Park entered.

On March 23, 2010, the South Korean government announced that it would build a cross-country bike path along the DMZ. This is part of an effort to make the DMZ a world class tourist attraction . Other plans include parks, meeting centers and a nature observatory.

In April 2019, a hiking trail was opened along part of the DMZ.

Wall

A section of the wall

North Korea maintains that South Korea and the US have built a wall the entire length of the DMZ. The wall is about 13 meters wide at the base and between 5 and 8 meters high and equipped with loopholes. On the north side, the wall falls vertically, serving as an anti-tank barrier, while on the south side the wall is sloping and overgrown, so the wall is practically invisible from the south. Tourists are shown sections of this wall by the North Korean military .

The fact that such a wall exists at least in certain sections of the border is also proven by photos and video material. In a documentation by the RT broadcaster from 2014, a wall about 5 meters high can be seen. South Korea and the United States deny the existence of a wall, but admit that there are facilities to repel tank attacks.

literature

  • Lee Si-Woo: In No Man's Land - A Journey Along the Inner-Korean Border . Abera Verlag, Hamburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-934376-68-7 .

Web links

Commons : Demilitarized Zone (Korea)  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b The Korea Herald of March 23, 2010: S. Korea to create eco-tourism belt in DMZ , accessed on March 24, 2010
  2. ^ Korean War Armistice Agreement: July 27, 1953. In: FindLaw. Thomson Reuters, March 5, 2014, accessed August 10, 2018 .
  3. ↑ Armistice Agreement, Article 1 Paragraphs 4-9
  4. ↑ Armistice Agreement, Article 2 para. 13 (c – d)
  5. ^ Peacebuilding missions abroad: NNSC (Korea) factsheet of the Swiss Confederation
  6. ↑ In the middle of the Korean conflict - five Swiss in no man's land . In: Swiss Radio and Television (SRF) . April 24, 2018 ( srf.ch [accessed August 10, 2018]).
  7. ^ Daniel Bolger: Scenes from an Unfinished War: Low intensity conflict in Korea 1966–1969 . Diane Publishing Co, 1991, ISBN 978-0-7881-1208-9 .
  8. ^ Scenes from an Unfinished War: Low-Intensity Conflict in Korea, 1966–1968 . Cgsc.leavenworth.army.mil. Archived from the original on March 25, 2009. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
  9. ^ KOREA: Careful Response to an Accident , TIME. July 25, 1977. Retrieved September 11, 2010. 
  10. ↑ Coordinates tunnel number 3
  11. ↑ a b c John Pike: Demilitarized Zone . Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  12. ^ DPRK-ROK Border Skirmish Nautilus Institute, NAPSNet Daily Report, July 16, 1997
  13. ^ North Korea vows to push for peace . In: CNN , July 4, 2002. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. 
  14. ^ South Korean military under fire over defection , channelnewsasia.com. October 28, 2009. Retrieved November 9, 2009. 
  15. ^ North Korea troops' fire into South Korea , BBC News. October 29, 2010. 
  16. ↑ Military admits Lies and Lapses Over Defection , The Chosun Ilbo. October 11, 2012. 
  17. ↑ defecting N.Korean Soldier 'Saw No Hope' , The Chosun Ilbo. October 8, 2012. 
  18. ↑ North Korea's soldiers hunt down refugees . In: news.ORF.at . November 22, 2017 ( orf.at [accessed November 22, 2017]).
  19. ↑ Shots from North Korea. daily news from May 3, 2020
  20. ↑ dmzforum.org (PDF; 563 kB): Tigers and Landmines , in English, accessed on September 8, 2011
  21. ↑ dmzforum.org ( MS Word ; 58 kB): DMZ Forum. A Statement of the DMZ Forum, March 2008, in English, accessed September 8, 2011
  22. ↑ dmzforum.org : 2003 Anniversary Meeting, Transboundary Peace Park Project , in English, accessed on September 8, 2011
  23. ↑ tagesschau.de: One year after the Korea summit: going for a walk in the border area. Retrieved April 28, 2019 .
  24. ↑ 10 days in North Korea Documentation by RT station (English, 47:28 min.). For photos of wall sections see 19:55 to 20:10.
  25. ↑ 10 days in North Korea Documentation of the station RT. For statements made by Washington and Seoul, see 19:16–19:29.