Panmunjom, << pahn moon jom, >> is the site of the truce talks that ended the Korean War in 1953. It lies in a neutral area, called the Demilitarized Zone, between North Korea and South Korea. Before the truce talks, Panmunjom was a small civilian village. Today, it is the point of contact between North and South Korea, and between United States and North Korean military representatives. The Panmunjom area is guarded by North Korean forces on the north side, and South Korean and U.S. troops on the south side.
The Korean War truce talks took place between the United Nations Command—represented by the United States—on one side, and North Korea and China on the other side. The talks began in July 1951 in Kaesong, a city under North Korean control. In October, the talks were moved to Panmunjom, in neutral territory. The talks led to the signing of a truce agreement on July 27, 1953.
See also Korean War (The end of the war).
