"North Korea's Kim Yo-jong teased as girlfriend"… US officer recalls service in DMZ

A retired U.S. Navy officer who served for eight years in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) under the United Nations Command cited the moment he met Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the North Korean Workers' Party, as the most awkward during his service.

The American daily The New York Times (NYT) introduced the life of former Major Daniel Edward McShane, who served in the DMZ, on the 28th of last month (local time). He is the longest-serving UN officer at Panmunjom, having served there from 2013 to 2021.

According to the report, Deputy Director Kim visited Panmunjom in 2018 to prepare for the summit between North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un and then-President Moon Jae-in. At the meeting venue, Deputy Director Kim lightly touched the arm of former Major McShane, who was sitting next to her. Soldiers stationed at Panmunjom teased him, saying, "Is Deputy Director Kim your girlfriend?"

Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the Workers' Party of Korea. [Photo by Yonhap News]

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Former Major McShane also revealed that his memories of starting duty at Panmunjom amid numerous landmines are still vivid. He recalled, "On the first night of duty, a landmine exploded nearby, and the next day two more detonated," adding, "There were two million landmines scattered across the DMZ. It was a cultural shock."

He also cited contacting the North Korean side as one of his main daily tasks during his service. Former Major McShane made direct calls to North Korea twice a day, at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., and most of the conversations were routine, such as "We are mowing the grass, so please do not shoot (to avoid misunderstanding)."

Former Major Daniel Edward McShane. [Image source=UN Command website]

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There were also moments in the DMZ when tensions could not be eased. He recalled that when two South Korean Army corporals were seriously injured by North Korean landmines in 2015, and when a North Korean soldier defected through the Joint Security Area in 2017 after breaking through gunfire, inter-Korean relations deteriorated, and the atmosphere around Panmunjom froze.

Meanwhile, currently teaching guitar to injured U.S. soldiers at the Pyeongtaek U.S. military base, he expressed regret that the d?tente he witnessed between South and North Korea in the DMZ was "too brief." Former Major McShane also mentioned the "Tree of Peace and Prosperity" jointly planted by former President Moon and Chairman Kim at Panmunjom in April 2018, saying, "It is important to continue caring for this tree so that it does not die."

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