North Korea’s Propaganda Village
October 11th, 2006
The Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas is the most tensely guarded border in the world, with over a million soldiers from three nations keeping watch on the 250 kilometer no man’s land. But for a small number of people, the DMZ is nothing more than ‘home.’
According to the armistice signed at Panmunjom in 1953, each Korea was allowed to maintain a village within the Demilitarized Zone along the 38th parallel. The South claimed Taesong-dong, a small farming village; North Korea (which had wanted a city only because South Korea had one) decided to build its own, Kijong-dong.
Kijong-dong, ‘Freedom Village,’ is North Korea’s propaganda city made to impress capitalists of the joys of austere communism. Though filled with buildings, no one actually lives in Kijong-dong; it’s merely part of an elaborate display, complete with loudspeakers blaring messages straight from Pyongyang and the world’s tallest flagpole.
Other than these two towns and the area near Panmunjom, no one has set foot in the DMZ since the end of the Korean War. Yet, in those years, the DMZ has become one of the world’s great (albeit flawed) wildlife sactuaries, a vast stretch of temperate land completely isolated from humanity.
North Korea’s Kijong-dong (37 56’ 43” N 126 39’ 20” E)
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December 8th, 2006 at 4:33 pm
Your page has a glaring error. Kijongdong, North Korea is NOT nor at any time ever been “Freedom Village”, Kijongdong is “Propaganda Village”.
Taesongdong, South Korea is “Freedom Village”. They are a short distance apart but miles apart in what they stand for.
Have been a former security guard at the Joint Security Area, Panmunjom I am intimately familiar with the entire lopcale.
April 2nd, 2007 at 2:05 pm
the north star…
I Googled for something completely different, but found your page…and have to say thanks. nice read….
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:35 pm
Thanks Raymond, good catch. I remember visiting the south shore with its Unification Observatory when I was younger… the contrast between the megaphones with propaganda from the North, and the “Unification” embroidered towels from the South was striking…
July 30th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
Thanks for information: i am going to use it in a bible class on how the non-christian world promises paradise if you meet certain standards (Good Life) with all the fancy fixings,wine women and song. But just like kijongdong, it is a colossal hoax: There is no life outside of jesus Christ.
March 11th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Thanks for this information: I’m going to use it in a class on how the Christian world promises paradise if you meet certain standards (giving of yourself to a fake deity) with all the fancy fixings, eternal life, salvation. But just like Kijongdong, it is a colossal hoax: there is no such thing as Jesus Christ.