North Korea has installed a large screen covering Panmungak, the main building in the northern section of the Joint Security Area at Panmunjom, the South Korean military said Monday.
According to the military, the entire three-story building has been hidden from view by the screen since around April.
Officials said the screen appeared to have been installed for repair work. No unusual military activity has been detected in the area since it was erected, they added.
Panmunjom is the inter-Korean truce village located within the Demilitarized Zone, through which the Military Demarcation Line runs. Panmungak, also known as Panmun Pavilion, stands on the North Korean side of the border and faces South Korea’s equivalent, the House of Freedom.
Panmungak was constructed as a two-story structure in 1969 and expanded to three stories in 1994.
It has been used for inter-Korean liaison work, support for high-level talks, and JSA security operations. It also houses the direct telephone line between the United Nations Command and the North Korean military, commonly known as the “pink phone.”
North Korea began rearming its personnel in the JSA after abandoning the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement in 2023, including by allowing its guards to carry pistols.
The UNC later authorized South Korean guards in the area to carry pistols as well.
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