This is the place where all prisoners of war were repatriated after the Korean War. The far side of the bridge is on the North Korean side of the Military Demarcation Line. At the immediate right of the picture the MDL bends 90 degrees towards the camera, crossing the river and running into the Joint Security Area (immediately behind the camera). The foreground is South Korea.

At the lower left is a memorial to the Axe Murder Incident. It's the place where a poplar tree originally stood. Until 1976 both sides could move freely in the JSA. However in Aug 1976 the Americans wanted to prune the tree as it blocked the view between important positions. A fight broke out and North Koreans killed two Americans. The two sides mobilized for war. U.S. aircraft and ships deployed to Korea. Artillery and infantry prepared for action. A workforce supported by infantry entered the JSA to chop the tree down. F-111 and B-52 bombers flew overhead in support. The work was completed with no interference from the North and all out war over a tree was averted. For a while the stump remained as a memorial but today it has been completely removed and a monument built in its place.

After this incident each side was restricted in its movements in the JSA and North Korean forces could not enter South Korean territory. To reach the JSA conference huts the North Koreans had previously crossed this bridge into the South Korea, then proceeded to the JSA via the road at lower left. This was no longer permitted so North Korea built a new bridge in 72 hours, to the right of this picture (out of view), allowing them direct access to the North Korean side of the JSA.