The Military Armistice Commission at the Panmunjeom
Explore stories around the The Military Armistice Commission at the Panmunjeom through a couple of important national archives and records
Panoramic View of Panmunjeom (1972) (1972) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
Panmunjeom
Panmunjeom is a Joint Security Area (JSA) on the military demarcation line in the Demilitarized Zone in Jinseo-myeon, Paju City in Gyeonggido Province. It includes not only the conference premises but also its surroundings.
The Military Armistice Commission Meeting (1958) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
Military Armistice Commission
The Military Armistice Commission (MAC) is a joint organization established to supervise the implementation of the Armistice Agreement and settle any violations of the agreement. Under the agreement, the United Nations Command (UNC) and communist representatives located their headquarters in Seoul and Gaeseong, respectively, and officers from each side were posted in the JSA.
The Armistice Agreement Statement 3 (1953) by Ministry of Foreign AffairsNational Archives of Korea
The Commission was formed on July 29 1953, immediately after the signing of the armistice agreement. The Military Armistice Commission was headquartered in Panmunjeom in October, 1953 according to Article 25 of the Armistice Agreement, which states that the MAC shall locate its headquarters in the vicinity of Panmunjeom. Increases in armed forces or conflicts within the DMZ have been negotiated by the Military Armistice Commission in accordance with the Armistice Agreement.
Panorama of the Conference Hall of the Military Armistice Commission (1970) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
This is a panorama of the conference hall of the MAC. General meetings, secretarial meetings, joint observer team meetings, joint duty officers meetings, language officers meetings, security officers meetings, and Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission meetings, etc. were held. It supervised the implementation of the Armistice Agreement and settled through negotiations any violations of the agreement.
The United Nations Forces of the General Meeting of the Military Armistice Commission (1971) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
This is a photo of the United Nations Command during the General Meeting of the Military Armistice Commission (MAC). The ROK military did not participate in the initial MAC meetings. The ROK was later asked to send representatives once discussions began on how to deal with displaced civilians and a program to disinter and exchange bodies of fallen soldiers.
North Korean Forces of the General Meeting of the Military Armistice Commission (1971) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
North Korean Forces during the General Meeting of the Military Armistice Commission.
North Korea’s First Underground Tunnel (1974) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
On November 15, 1974, underground tunnels built by North Korea in the Demilitarized Zone were discovered. The tunnels were discussed at the 356th meeting of the Military Armistice Commission on November 26. North Korea refuted that the underground tunneling was a fabricated event, to which UN Command protested by disclosing photographic evidence of the underground tunnels illegally constructed by North Korea.
Officials of the 379th Military Armistice Commission (1976) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
On August 18, 1976, the North Korean forces confronted UN Command guards on the issue of trimming a poplar tree. The UN Command guards tried to cut down the tree, which blocked the line of sight between UN Command checkpoint (CP No. 3) and an observation post (OP No. 5), but the North Korean guards tried to stop and subsequently attacked them with an axe, killing 2 US Army officers.
The 379th General Meeting of the Military Armistice Commission (1976) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
On August 19 and 25 of 1976, the 379th and 380th Military Armistice Commission (MAC) meetings were held to discuss the issue of "The Korean Axe Murder Incident." The Military Demarcation Line had not been marked in the Panmunjeom Joint Security Area, and both sides of the security forces and civilians could move freely, but this incident triggered a military demarcation line within the Joint Security Area.
The Removal of the Cottonwood Tree That Led to the 'Panmunjeom Axe Murder Case.' (1976) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
The removal of the cottonwood tree that led to the 'Panmunjeom Axe Murder Case.'
The 394th General Meeting of Military Armistice Commission (1979) by National Film WorksNational Archives of Korea
On July 31, 1979, the 394th meeting of the Military Armistice Commission was held to address a North Korean armed spy boat which infiltrated the coastal waters of Samcheonpo at the southernmost tip of the Korean Peninsula. At the time, UN Command protested that the infiltration of the spy boat around the Samcheonpo coast constituted a breach of the Armistice Agreement, presenting various weapons dredged up from the boat as evidence.
Continue to take a look at more stories about people, events and spaces around Panmunjom, here.
