4. Panmunjom Checkpoint: Unveiling the Illusion of Kijong-dong, the Propaganda Village
This is the military checkpoint at Panmunjom within the DMZ. In the distance, you can spot the infamous 160m flagpole manufactured inside the village of Kijong-dong. Kijong-dong is referred to by South Korea as a ‘propaganda village’, built to pull South Korean soldiers to defect across to the North during the 1950s. The village can be seen with filled glasses from South Korea and even with North Korea’s claims of Kijong-dong being an inhabited collective farm, evidence suggests the buildings are empty existing shells with lighting on timers to give the impression of activity.
