Story:

North Koreans once attended a UN meeting with AK-47s underneath their jackets. Rather than confront them about it, American officers turned up the temperature in the room to make them sweat under their heavy clothes.

Other Versions

During a meeting with the UN, North Koreans came with AK-47s under their jackets. Instead of confronting them American officers turned up the heat in the room to make them sweat under their heavy clothes.

Analysis:

The interesting story states that North Koreans once attended a United Nations meeting with AK-47s hidden under their jackets, and instead of confronting them about it, American officers turned up the temperature in the room so that they will sweat under their heavy clothes. Yes, it is a fact; the story was briefly mentioned in an article published in National Geographic Magazine in July 2003, which describes Korea’s DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) as a Dangerous Divide.

The Story and Backdrop

After the Korean War ended, a final agreement was made on July 27, 1953, which established a 4 kilometer wide demilitarized zone (DMZ) along the armistice line — effectively dividing Korea into two separate countries. Since the end of the fighting, the area has been heavily armed by both sides. Inside the DMZ, near the western coast of the peninsula, Panmunjom is the home of the Joint Security Area (JSA). Prior to 2007, it was the only connection between North and South Korea. Panmunjom split this peninsula since the Korean War ended in 1953. The JSA, also known as “Truce Village” is the only area of the Korean DMZ where the South and North Korean forces stand face-to-face, and tension used to run here constantly. In fact, as shown in Image below, the MDL (Military Demarcation Line) goes through the conference rooms where the North Koreans and the United Nations Command (primarily South Koreans and Americans) meet face to face.

In 1950s, military representatives of China, North Korea, and the United Nations finalized the armistice agreement at Panmunjom and that stopped the Korean War. Even in early 2000s, delegates from North Korea and the UN Command force used to meet and discuss military, political and logistical matters. Panmunjom, however, is not a decorous and grown-up place. Lt. Chris Croninger of the UN Command force says, “It’s like a schoolyard with two bullies poking each other in the eye.”

As mentioned in the article published in National Geographic Magazine, the rules of combat at Panmunjom emphasize mind games, i.e. psyching out the enemy. A giant Korean signboard on the North Korean side, which few Americans can read, warns “Yankee Go Home.” In a conference room here, North Koreans once sawed a few inches off chair legs so that their counterparts would look small and silly. Coming to the story in question, when North Koreans attended a meeting with AK-47 rifles hidden under their jackets, an armistice violation, Americans chose not to confront them, and instead, took delight in increasing the room’s heat — just to see their adversaries, unwilling to expose their weapons, and squirm and sweat in their heavy clothes.

Hoax or Fact:

Fact.