North Korea screens building in Panmunjom for renovation

North Korea has installed screens around its Panmungak building in the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom, apparently for renovation work, military sources reported Monday.

The screens covering the facility, located on the northern side of the Joint Security Area (JSA), were erected in April. This is not the first time North Korea has covered the building for renovation, as it was also done in the past.

Panmungak, constructed in 1969, is situated 80 meters north of the Military Demarcation Line within the Demilitarized Zone that separates the two Koreas. It stands directly opposite South Korea's Freedom House in the JSA.

The three-story Panmungak building houses a guard command post and is known for the "pink phone," a direct hotline connecting North Korea and the United Nations Command, which oversees the Armistice Agreement that ended the Korean War.

Historically, Panmungak has been a venue for significant inter-Korean events, including the 2018 summit between then President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The building gained prominence when Kim emerged from it to meet Moon at the border line during that summit.

Relations between the two Koreas have deteriorated since peace talks with the United States collapsed during the Moon administration. In late 2023, North Korea declared the two Koreas as "two hostile states."