This photo, provided by the South Korean government, shows North Korea’s Unification Pavilion in the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone on May 26, 2018, before it was renamed in 2024. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 19 (Korea Bizwire) — North Korea has removed “unification” from the name of a building on the North’s side of the truce village of Panmunjom, Seoul’s unification ministry said Monday, as Pyongyang has stepped up its campaign to redefine relations with Seoul as hostile.
In August last year, North Korea replaced the signboard on its building on the North’s side of Panmunjom, which sits in the middle of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), renaming it “Panmun Hall” after removing the previous signboard reading “Unification Pavilion” in January, unification ministry spokesperson Koo Byoung-sam said.
The official said the move appears to be part of Pyongyang’s ongoing campaign to redefine its relations with Seoul as hostile and to erase inter-Korean unification from its policy.
In 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un issued an order designating South Korea as its primary foe and has since intensified hostility toward Seoul.
Since April last year, the North has installed anti-tank structures and mines along the DMZ, and blown up roads and railways connecting the two sides, in line with Kim’s order.
The North Korean building was previously used for inter-Korean talks. In May 2018, then South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Kim held their second summit meeting there.
(Yonhap)
