A seven-decade peace mission
Seit 1953 überwachen Schweizer Armeeangehörige den Waffenstillstand zwischen Nord- und Südkorea. Was kann die älteste militärische Friedensmission heute noch leisten?
Translation:
A seven-decade peace mission: Why are Swiss military officers still patrolling the “death strip” between North and South Korea?
Swiss army personnel have been monitoring the cease-fire between North and South Korea since 1953. Can the world's longest-lasting military peacekeeping mission still achieve anything today? A report from the border.
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Excerpt from the story by Marco Kauffmann Bossart.
Commissioned and published by Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
February 2024
Photographed in Panmunjom and surrounding areas
A sentry post watchtower looking towards North Korea.
Wishes for peace and reunification posted by South Korean tourists on a barrier fence.
The Korean peninsula has been divided into two states since 1953. Not far from Panmunjom, photographs serve as reminders of the painful separation.
The Bridge of Freedom south of Panmunjom. A restricted area accessible only to military personnel begins there.
Warning, mines and a railroad bridge into no man's land. There are no longer any regular transport connections between North and South Korea.
A Swiss flag waves above the NNSC Briefing Room at the Neutral National Supervisory Commission (NNSC) camp.
A memorial stone in Panmunjom commemorates Switzerland's contribution to stability on the Korean peninsula.
Yellow signs mark the military demarcation line between North and South Korea.
Major General Ivo Burgener (left) and Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Truffer.
A symbol of détente: North Korean leader Kim and South Korean President Moon crossed the Blue Bridge in 2018. North Korean antennas can be seen in the background.