In July 1951, peace talks began between the U.N. and North Korea in the village of Kaesong (later moved to nearby Panmunjon), just north of the future Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).



The desire to secure more territory and unresolved disagreement regarding the repatriation of prisoners-of-war (some of whom were reluctant to be returned to their home countries) dragged the talks out for another two years.

Digital Archive of peace talks


Unfortunately, the prolonged negotiations (which resulted in little change in the relative positions of opposing forces) resulted in many more civilian and military deaths on both sides.


Korean War Memorial – Washington D.C.