Korea DMZ tour from Seoul are running, but access to Panmunjom (JSA) is still the most sensitive part.

DMZ day tours from Seoul are operating. Standard tours to Imjingak, the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel, Dora Observatory, Camp Greaves and nearby sites have resumed after COVID and are again widely sold by Seoul-based tour companies.

Panmunjom / JSA tours are the tricky part. In July 2023 a U.S. soldier ran across the border during a JSA tour, and the UN Command suspended civilian visits to the JSA / blue conference huts for safety and review. Through 2024 only small, official or “policy” groups (veterans, officials, etc.) were allowed limited JSA visits; regular commercial JSA tours stayed on hold.

In 2025 the government announced plans to gradually restart Panmunjom tours starting with policy visitors, but schedules have been on and off around sensitive political moments. Public, foreigner-oriented JSA tours are still tightly controlled and can be cancelled at short notice.

Security along the border is still active but highly managed. There have been incidents such as North Korean troops briefly crossing the military demarcation line and frequent missile tests, but tourist zones are heavily controlled. When the risk level rises, tours are cancelled or rerouted rather than sending visitors into unstable areas.

Why Travelers Choose DMZTOURS

Panmunjom-Joint Security Area (JSA)

The JSA is located 48km northwest of Seoul, South Korea and 10km east of Gaesong, North Korea. After concluding a Truce Agreement in 1953, it was decided to be a Joint Security Area between UN and North Korea. It is a small space where the distance between the front, rear and right and left guards is only 800 meters.

In 1950, there were only a few straw houses in the village before 25th of June. The truce talks between 1951 and 1953 were held, and it was known all over the world. The truce talks, which began with a tent for the first time, were held for a year and nine months. After the truce talks were over, a wooden building was built in the vicinity to sign the truce agreement. Then, it moved in present place. After The Truce Agreement was signed here in July 1953, it became a "Joint Security Area" between the United Nations and North Korea. From August to September of the same year, prisoners were exchanged for one month.

Panmunjeom was mainly used as a place to manage the truce. The North-South Red Cross Preliminary Talks, held on 20th of September,1971, has been used not only as a venue for The Military Armistice Commission, but also as a place for contact and talks between North and South Korea and as a transit point between the two Koreas. Within the Joint Security Area, there are the main conference hall of the Military Armistice Commission and the conference room of the Neutral Nations Commission of Supervision. The Military Demarcation Line indicates Mike line that is passing through the middle of a conference table set up in the conference room of The Military Armistice Commission. The U.N. and North Korean flags on the table are also symbols of Military Demarcation Line.

In addition, there is a bridge called ‘Unreturned Bridge’ that symbolizes the division of people in the west of Panmunjom. This is the name of prisoners of war exchanged through the bridge since the 1953 Truce Agreement. However, the bridge was closed due to "The Axe Murder Incident". In August 1976, two U.S. military officers were killed with axe by North Korea soldiers in the Panmunjeom Joint Security Area. In this incident, a Military Demarcation Line was set up within the JSA.

Now The Joint Security Area is safer and more peaceful than you think. Our tour guides of ‘DMZ TOURS’ will explain in easy and detailed the history and process from June 5, 1950 when the Korean War started to April 2018 when the inter-Korean summit was held.