UN Command Supports On-Site Investigation of Taebongguk Fortress Site in the DMZ

UN Command Facebook Capture

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The United Nations Command (UNC) supported the Cultural Heritage Administration's field survey of the Taebong Kingdom Cheorwon Fortress site located in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

According to the UNC's official SNS (social networking service) on the 3rd, the UNC released photos last week showing support for the Cultural Heritage Administration's field survey of the Taebong Kingdom Cheorwon Fortress site within the DMZ. The photos included scenes of investigators measuring the Cheorwon Fortress site and discovering relic fragments, as well as Korean military and UNC personnel guiding the way to the fortress site.

The UNC stated, "The field survey was conducted as part of the 'Peace Zone' project, which began last month to document important historic sites and relics located within the DMZ," and added, "We thank the Cultural Heritage Administration for their active cooperation and for providing kind explanations about the geological layers and Silla-era relics."

The government is promoting excavation and restoration of the Taebong Kingdom Cheorwon Fortress in accordance with the DMZ Peace Zone initiative. In particular, the excavation and restoration of the Cheorwon Fortress site is a cooperative project pursued under the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration's 'Demilitarized Zone Peace Zone' and the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement's 'Joint Investigation and Excavation of Historical Sites within the DMZ with Military Guarantees.'

For joint excavation work on cultural heritage sites within the DMZ by North and South Korea, mine clearance must be conducted first. The Ministry of National Defense has previously proposed joint excavation of historical sites, including the Gungye Fortress in the DMZ, through past inter-Korean general-level military talks. The Taebong Kingdom Cheorwon Fortress was the capital fortress used from 905 to 918 by Gungye (??918), who established the capital in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province. When Gungye moved the capital from Kaesong to Cheorwon, the national name was Majin (摩震), but it is believed to have been completed during the Taebong (泰封, 911?918) period. Analysis of maps from the Japanese colonial era and aerial photographs taken during the Korean War estimates the fortress shape as rectangular, with outer and inner fortress lengths of approximately 12.5 km and 7.7 km, respectively.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.