Arch of Reunification
The Arch of Reunification is a sculptural arch located south of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. It was opened in August 2001 to commemorate Korean reunification proposals put forward by Kim Il-sung.
The concrete arch straddles the multi-laned Reunification Highway leading from Pyongyang to the DMZ. It consists of two Korean women in traditional dress, symbolizing the North and the South, leaning forward to jointly uphold a sphere bearing a map of a reunified Korea. The sphere is the emblem of the Three Charters; the Three Principles of National Reunification; the Plan of Establishing the Democratic Federal Republic of Korea and the Ten Point Program of the Great Unity of the Whole Nation. The original plan was to have a 55-metre pillar with three branches to represent Koreans in the north, the south, and overseas.
The plinth of the structure is engraved with messages of support for re-unification and peace from various individuals, organizations and nations.
The arch appeared on a postage stamp in 2002.
