The Arch of Reunification, officially the ‘Monument to the Three-Point Charter for National Reunification’ is a 30-metre tall arch dedicated to the reunification of the Korean Peninsula. The Arch stretches over the Reunification Highway which connects Pyongyang, the North Korean Capital, with the southern border city of Kaesong. It depicts two Korean women dressed in traditional garb, one representing the north and the other the south, holding a bronze map of the peninsula. The base of the arch is emblazoned with bronze murals on both sides depicting revolutionary scenes.

The arch was completed in 2001 at the height of the ‘Sunshine Policy’, a government policy implemented by South Korea in the late 1990s and early 2000s to lower the risk of conflict between the two rival states. The policy led to a notable thaw in tensions creating the conditions for the first Inter-Korean Summit in 2000 between President Kim Dae Jung of South Korea and Supreme Leader Kim Jong Il of North Korea.

At the start of 2024 a new policy directed by DPRK leader Kim Jong Un came into force - this essentially abandoned the focus on reunification, reclassifying South Korea as an enemy state, and marking a major policy shift. This policy change made the aspirations of the Arch of Reunification a thing of the past, and instead of leaving he structure there to remind visitors and locals of a different time the deicison was made to instead demolish the entire thing - so in late Jan 2023 the arch came down: complete destruction and removal.

We leave the text and images below as a reminder of what was once in that empty spot on the highway as you motor south from the capital along the previously-named Reunification Highway.

The monument is specifically dedicated to the Three-Point Charter for National Reunification which was laid out by North Korean President Kim Il Sung over a number of years. The three points are as follows:

1) The Three Points of National Reunification. These points were first laid out by the President in 1972 during talks with delegates from South Korea. Kim Il Sung’s policies on national reunification still form the official basis for North Korea’s foreign policy

a. First, national reunification should be achieved independently without reliance on outside forces and free from their interference.

b. Secondly, great national unity should be promoted by transcending the differences in ideas, ideals and systems.

c. Thirdly, national reunification should be achieved by peaceful means without resorting to arms

2) Plan for the Founding of the Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo. In 1980, Kim Il Sung announced his plan for founding a unified federal republic under a single central government. The plan called for both sides to tolerate the other’s ideas and social system and for the federal assembly to consist of equal numbers of representatives from the north and south.

3) Ten Point Plan for National Reunification. This plan, introduced by the President in 1993, forms the foundation for North Korea’s official policy on reunifying the peninsula. The plan calls for a ‘one country two systems’ model where a single state will be formed but will be governed separately by two administrations; one in the Pyongyang and another in Seoul.

Tourists can enter the base of the monument where there are plaques from and organisations and individuals showing their support for national reunification.

Location

The monument is located south of the Taedong River in southwest Pyongyang. Most visitors will be able to stop at the monument as they leave Pyongyang on their way down to visit Kaesong and the Demilitarised Zone on the Reunification Highway.

You can pay a visit to the Arch of Reunification on most of our trips to North Korea. What else can you see in North Korea? Download Koryo Tours' free 75-page guide to the country for a full list and follow the Koryo Tours Blog for in-depth descriptions.