The Arch of Reunification, officially the Monument to the Three-Point Charter for National Reunification, was a sculptural

arch An arch is a curved vertical structure spanning an open space underneath it. Arches may support the load above them, or they may perform a purely decorative role. As a decorative element, the arch dates back to the 4th millennium BC, but stru ...

located south of

Pyongyang Pyongyang () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is sometimes labeled as the "Capital of the Revolution" (). Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. Accordi ...

, the capital of

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

. It was opened in August 2001 to commemorate

Korean reunification Korean reunification is the hypothetical unification of North Korea and South Korea into a singular Korean sovereign state. The process towards reunification of the peninsula while still maintaining two opposing regimes was started by the Ju ...

proposals put forward by

Kim Il Sung Kim Il Sung (born Kim Song Ju; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he led as its first Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader from North Korea#Founding, its establishm ...

. Made of

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

, the arch straddled the multi-laned Reunification Highway leading from Pyongyang to the

Korean Demilitarized Zone The Korean Demilitarized Zone () is a heavily militarized strip of land running across the Korea, Korean Peninsula near the 38th parallel north. The demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a border barrier that divides the peninsula roughly in half. It wa ...

. The arch appeared on postage stamps issued in 2002, 2015, 2016, and 2021. The monument was demolished in January 2024.

History

North Korea broke ground for the monument on 14 August 1999. It initially aimed to finish the arch by 15 August 2000, marking the 55th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan. The original plan was to have a 55-metre pillar with three branches to represent Koreans in the north, the south, and overseas. In July 2000, the Korean-American website ''Minjok Tongshin'' reported North Korea would change the location and design of the monument, supposedly because it received more support and commemorative bricks from South Korea than expected. According to ''

NK News NK News is an American subscription-based news website that provides stories and analysis about North Korea. Established in 2011, it is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea with reporters in Washington, D.C., and London. Reporting is based on in ...

'', North Korea's decision reportedly came shortly after the 2000 inter-Korean summit. In November 2000, the website published the first image of the arch's final design. The monument was completed by August 2001; '' Rodong Sinmun'', the newspaper of the ruling

Workers' Party of Korea The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), also called the Korean Workers' Party (KWP), is the sole ruling party of North Korea. Founded in 1949 from a merger between the Workers' Party of North Korea and the Workers' Party of South Korea, the WPK is ...

(WPK), described it as a "grand monument to the 10,000-year grand plan of the era of the Workers’ Party of Korea."

Demolition

In December 2023, during his remarks at a Plenum of the WPK's Central Committee,

Kim Jong Un Kim Jong Un (born 8 January 1983 or 1984) is a North Korean politician and dictator who has served as supreme leader of North Korea since 2011 and general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is the third son of Kim ...

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 Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically divided at or near the 38th parallel between North Korea (Dem ...

. At that time Kim announced that he had ruled out the possibility of reunification with South Korea through peaceful means 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 called for the destruction of the Arch of Reunification, in a further step towards abandoning the goal of peaceful reunification. In a speech at the

Supreme People's Assembly The Supreme People's Assembly (SPA; ) is the legislature of North Korea. It is ostensibly the highest organ of state power and the only branch of government in North Korea, with all state organs subservient to it under the principle of unified ...

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 Satellite images (also Earth observation imagery, spaceborne photography, or simply satellite photo) are images of Earth collected by imaging satellites operated by governments and businesses around the world. Satellite imaging companies sell im ...

. The news that the Arch of Reunification had been demolished was confirmed by the

Ministry of Unification The Ministry of Unification () is an executive department of the South Korean government aimed at promoting Korean reunification. It was first established in 1969 as the ''National Unification Board'', under the rule of Park Chung Hee. It gaine ...

of South Korea on 24 January 2024.

Design

The arch consisted of two Korean women in traditional dress (), 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 , and the '' Ten Point Programme for Reunification of the Country''. The arch's lower part featured bronze

bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

s on both sides showing independence movement scenes. The

plinth A pedestal or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In civil engineering, it is also called ''basement''. The minimum height o ...

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 width of the Arch of Reunification, 61.5 metres, was a reference to the June 15th North–South Joint Declaration of 2000, and its height at 30 meters, a reference to the Three Principles of National Reunification. REUNIFICATION_MONUMENT_PYONGYANG_DPR_KOREA_OCT_2012_(8150413808).jpg, The arch at night File:Arch of Reunification, North Korea 09.JPG, Detail showing the apex of the arch, with image of the

Korean Peninsula Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically divided at or near the 38th parallel between North Korea (Dem ...

and

islands This is a list of the lists of islands in the world grouped by country, by continent, by body of water, and by other classifications. For rank-order lists, see the #Other lists of islands, other lists of islands below. Lists of islands by count ...

( Jeju, Ulleungdo, Dokdo) and Korean text 3대헌장 (''samdae heonjang'', "3-point charter") File:Arch of Reunification, North Korea 04.JPG, Bronze relief at base showing the Korean people File:Arch of Reunification, North Korea 05.JPG, Bronze relief at base showing the Korean people

References

External links

*
Monument to the Three Charters for National Reunification
' at

Naenara Naenara () is the official web portal of the North Korean government. History Naenara was the first website in North Korea, and was created in 1996. Usage Naenara carries publications such as '' The Pyongyang Times'', ' magazine, '' Korea ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arch Of Reunification 2001 establishments in North Korea 2024 disestablishments in North Korea Arches and vaults Buildings and structures completed in 2001 Buildings and structures demolished in 2024 Buildings and structures in Pyongyang Concrete buildings and structures Demolished buildings and structures in North Korea Korean reunification Monuments and memorials in North Korea North Korea–South Korea relations Outdoor sculptures in North Korea Removed statues Sculptures of women Statues in North Korea Military history of Pyongyang