The Strange Korean Border Village Where US soldier crossed Into North
2023-07-20
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1There is very little space separating the two Koreas at Panmunjom, the most heavily armed border in the world.
2People have stepped across the narrow dividing line, but only at very special times.
3The two nations are still technically at war.
4Former U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did it in 2019.
5A year earlier, former South Korean President Moon Jae-in walked with Kim across the border.
6In 2017, a defecting North Korean soldier went across nearby, under heavy gunfire.
7He was racing across the border for safety.
8And this week, an American soldier facing possible military discipline went over the line.
9It caused an international incident that could worsen already uneasy relations on the Korean Peninsula.
10Much of the 4-kilometer-wide Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is forest, guarded by mines, barbed wire fences and tank traps.
11Combat troops stand on both sides.
12The DMZ is jointly overseen by the American-led U.N. Command and by North Korea.
13But Panmunjom is different.
14It was once a small farming village inside the DMZ.
15Now, it hosts a "Joint Security Area." And it has become one of the world's strangest tourist sites.
16The Korean Peninsula was split into a Soviet-controlled North and U.S.-supported South at the end of World War II.
17It was in Panmunjom that U.S. and North Korean forces signed the 1953 truce that ended fighting in the Korean War.
18The truce also led to the creation of the DMZ.
19There has never been an official peace treaty.
20In Panmunjom, there are stores, fast-food restaurants and lots of tourists.
21But North Korea has been closed to tourism because of the pandemic since early 2020.
22The South Korean side has an amusement park not far from the village.
23It used to have a Popeyes fried chicken restaurant.
24Tours to the southern side drew around 100,000 visitors a year before the pandemic.
25The tourist area is a short drive from Seoul.
26The South Korean capital lies in an easy striking range of 70 percent of North Korea's 1.2 million troop positioned along the border.
27Months and years often pass without incident. But when something happens, it can be violent.
28In 1976, North Korean soldiers killed two American army officers with axes.
29The U.S. reacted by flying nuclear bombers toward the DMZ in an attempt to frighten the North.
30In 1984, North Korean and U.N. Command soldiers fired shots when a Soviet citizen defected by running to the southern side.
31Three North Korean soldiers and one South Korean soldier were killed.
32North Koreans who flee to the South have mostly used the less guarded border between the North and China.
33An estimated 30,000 North Koreans have escaped since the end of the Korean War.
34The American detained on Tuesday was 23-year-old Private 2nd Class Travis King.
35He is the first known American detained in the North in nearly five years.
36He was captured after running across the border at Panmunjom.
37King had served nearly two months in a South Korean prison on assault charges.
38He was supposed to be sent Monday to Fort Bliss, Texas.
39There, he was to face more military disciplinary measures and a possible release from service.
40But officials said that instead of getting on the plane, he left the airport and joined a tour of Panmunjom.
41I'm Caty Weaver.
1There is very little space separating the two Koreas at Panmunjom, the most heavily armed border in the world. People have stepped across the narrow dividing line, but only at very special times. The two nations are still technically at war. 2Former U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did it in 2019. A year earlier, former South Korean President Moon Jae-in walked with Kim across the border. In 2017, a defecting North Korean soldier went across nearby, under heavy gunfire. He was racing across the border for safety. 3And this week, an American soldier facing possible military discipline went over the line. It caused an international incident that could worsen already uneasy relations on the Korean Peninsula. 4Much of the 4-kilometer-wide Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is forest, guarded by mines, barbed wire fences and tank traps. Combat troops stand on both sides. The DMZ is jointly overseen by the American-led U.N. Command and by North Korea. 5But Panmunjom is different. It was once a small farming village inside the DMZ. Now, it hosts a "Joint Security Area." And it has become one of the world's strangest tourist sites. 6The Korean Peninsula was split into a Soviet-controlled North and U.S.-supported South at the end of World War II. It was in Panmunjom that U.S. and North Korean forces signed the 1953 truce that ended fighting in the Korean War. The truce also led to the creation of the DMZ. 7There has never been an official peace treaty. 8In Panmunjom, there are stores, fast-food restaurants and lots of tourists. But North Korea has been closed to tourism because of the pandemic since early 2020. The South Korean side has an amusement park not far from the village. It used to have a Popeyes fried chicken restaurant. 9Tours to the southern side drew around 100,000 visitors a year before the pandemic. 10The tourist area is a short drive from Seoul. The South Korean capital lies in an easy striking range of 70 percent of North Korea's 1.2 million troop positioned along the border. 11Months and years often pass without incident. But when something happens, it can be violent. 12In 1976, North Korean soldiers killed two American army officers with axes. The U.S. reacted by flying nuclear bombers toward the DMZ in an attempt to frighten the North. 13In 1984, North Korean and U.N. Command soldiers fired shots when a Soviet citizen defected by running to the southern side. Three North Korean soldiers and one South Korean soldier were killed. 14North Koreans who flee to the South have mostly used the less guarded border between the North and China. An estimated 30,000 North Koreans have escaped since the end of the Korean War. 15The American detained on Tuesday was 23-year-old Private 2nd Class Travis King. He is the first known American detained in the North in nearly five years. He was captured after running across the border at Panmunjom. 16King had served nearly two months in a South Korean prison on assault charges. He was supposed to be sent Monday to Fort Bliss, Texas. There, he was to face more military disciplinary measures and a possible release from service. But officials said that instead of getting on the plane, he left the airport and joined a tour of Panmunjom. 17I'm Caty Weaver. 18Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting from The Associated Press. 19_____________________________________________________ 20Words in This Story 21defect - v. a problem or fault that makes someone or something not perfect 22discipline - n. control that is gained by requiring that rules or orders be obeyed and punishing bad behavior 23barbed - adj. having a sharp point that sticks out and backward from a larger point 24tourist - n. a person who travels to a place for pleasure 25amusement park - n. a place that has many games and rides for entertainment 26tour - n. a journey through the different parts of a country, region, etc. 27assault - n. the crime of trying or threatening to hurt someone physically