North Korea expunges ‘unification’ from name of JSA building that hosted summit



News North Korea expunges ‘unification’ from name of JSA building that hosted summit Seoul belatedly confirms ‘Unification Pavilion’ now called ‘Panmun Hall,’ reflecting DPRK’s shift to two-state policy Jooheon Kim May 19, 2025 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON North Korean soldiers stand in formation at Tongilgak during the inter-Korean summit held on May 26, 2018. \| Image: ROK Presidential Office North Korea has stripped the word “unification” from the name of a building in Panmunjom that played host to South Korea’s president for an inter-Korean summit, another high-profile change in line with leader Kim Jong Un’s rejection of reunification. According to Seoul’s Unification Ministry on Monday, Pyongyang replaced the nameplate of Tongilgak, a landmark building on its side of the Joint Security Area (JSA) meaning “Unification Pavilion,” with one that reads Panmungwan, or “Panmun Hall.” North Korea has stripped the word “unification” from the name of a building in Panmunjom that played host to South Korea’s president for an inter-Korean summit, another high-profile change in line with leader Kim Jong Un’s rejection of reunification. According to Seoul’s Unification Ministry on Monday, Pyongyang replaced the nameplate of Tongilgak, a landmark building on its side of the Joint Security Area (JSA) meaning “Unification Pavilion,” with one that reads Panmungwan, or “Panmun Hall.” Try unlimited access Only $1 for four weeks Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

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North Korea expunges ‘unification’ from name of JSA building that hosted summit

Seoul belatedly confirms ‘Unification Pavilion’ now called ‘Panmun Hall,’ reflecting DPRK’s shift to two-state policy

Jooheon Kim May 19, 2025

North Korea expunges ‘unification’ from name of JSA building that hosted summit

North Korean soldiers stand in formation at Tongilgak during the inter-Korean summit held on May 26, 2018. | Image: ROK Presidential Office

North Korea has stripped the word “unification” from the name of a building in Panmunjom that played host to South Korea’s president for an inter-Korean summit, another high-profile change in line with leader Kim Jong Un’s rejection of reunification.

According to Seoul’s Unification Ministry on Monday, Pyongyang replaced the nameplate of Tongilgak, a landmark building on its side of the Joint Security Area (JSA) meaning “Unification Pavilion,” with one that reads Panmungwan, or “Panmun Hall.”

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North Korea expunges ‘unification’ from name of JSA building that hosted summit

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