Arch of Reunification facts for kids
Arch of Reunification in 2014
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| Coordinates | 38°57′52.300″N 125°42′56.940″E / 38.96452778°N 125.71581667°E |
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| Location | Pyongyang, North Korea |
| Width | 61.5 metres (202 ft) |
| Height | 30 metres (98 ft) |
| Opening date | August 2001 |
| Dedicated to |
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| Dismantled date | January 2024 |
The Arch of Reunification, officially the Monument to the Three-Point Charter for National Reunification, was a sculptural arch located south of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. It was opened in August 2001 to commemorate Korean reunification proposals put forward by Kim Il Sung. Made of concrete, the arch straddled the multi-laned Reunification Highway leading from Pyongyang to the Korean Demilitarized Zone. The arch appeared on a postage stamp in 2002. It was demolished in January 2024.
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Design
The arch consisted of two Korean women in traditional dress (chosŏn-ot), symbolizing the North and the South, leaning forward to jointly uphold a sphere bearing a map of a reunified Korea. The sphere is the emblem of the Three Charters: the Three Principles of National Reunification; the Plan of Establishing the Democratic Federal Republic of Korea and the Ten Point Program of the Great Unity of the Whole Nation. The arch's lower part features bronze bas-reliefs on both sides showing independence fight scenes. The plinth of the structure was engraved with messages of support for reunification and peace from various individuals, organizations, and nations. The arch was completed at the height of the so-called sunshine policy, a South Korean government effort to reduce the risk of conflict between the two states and reconcile with the North.
The original plan was to have a 55-metre pillar with three branches to represent Koreans in the north, the south, and overseas.
Demolition
In December 2023, during his remarks at the Workers' Party meetings, Kim Jong Un accused South Korea of becoming a "forward military base and nuclear arsenal" of the United States amid increased U.S. drills and deployment of some military assets near the Korean peninsula. At that time Kim announced that he had ruled out the possibility of reunification with South Korea and that North Korea must fundamentally change its relations with South Korea. North Korea ultimately vowed to launch three new spy satellites, build military drones and boost its nuclear arsenal by 2024.
In January 2024, Kim Jong Un called for the destruction of the Arch of Reunification, in a further step of abandoning the reunification goal. In a speech at the Supreme People's Assembly on 15 January of that year, Kim called the monument an "eyesore" and, according to official media, ordered the constitution be amended to say the South was a "primary foe and invariable principal enemy".
The arch was demolished some time between 19 and 23 January 2024, according to satellite imagery. The news that the Arch of Reunification had been demolished, was confirmed by the Ministry of Unification of South Korea on 24 January 2024.
Gallery
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The arch at night
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Detail showing the apex of the arch, with image of the Korean Peninsula and islands (Jeju, Ulleungdo, Dokdo) and Korean text 3대헌장 (samdae heonjang, "3-point charter")
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Bronze relief at base showing the Korean people
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Bronze relief at base showing the Korean people
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See also
In Spanish: Arco de la Reunificación para niños
