Armed North Korean soldiers were spying through the windows when Prime Minister Erna Solberg crossed the border between South Korea and North Korea on Friday.
Earlier in the day North Korea launched another rocket – probably to mark the occasion of the birthday of the “eternal president” of the country, Kim Il-sung.
Even though the launch was a failure, this did nothing to improve relations between the two countries, which technically still are at war with each other, 63 years after the ceasefire was signed in 1953.
– It’s a very special feeling to be here, in the middle of one of the most tense borders in the world. It also feels strange that people are sent to take photographs of us, as if we were animals in a cage. And it’s clearly better to be on this side, Solberg said to the news agency NTB while North Korean soldiers were standing right behind her – but outside the building.
North Korean surprise
The crossing of the border took place inside the building referred to as T2, right next to Panmunjom freedom house on the south’s side of the demilitarized zone.
The center line of the demilitarized zone runs right through T2 and a meeting table that stands in the middle of the room. This is where the two countries will gather for talks – when relations between them are good enough to make this a possibility. The last time this happened was in 2002.
It was believed beforehand that North Korea would send two soldiers to spy on the party with the Norwegian Prime Minister. Security forces on southern side was noticeably particularly wary when a third soldier also appeared, and then a whole small squad.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
