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Arch of Reunification

Pyongyang Monument

Architectural plans, a scale model, maps and brass measuring instruments
Places and architectureInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionFeb 27, 2026
Entity authorityQ94731 ↗
Source-derived summary

The Arch of Reunification, officially the Monument to the Three-Point Charter for National Reunification, was 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. Made of concrete, the arch straddled the multi-laned Reunification Highway leading from Pyongyang to the Korean Demilitarized Zone. The arch appeared on postage stamps issued in 2002, 2015, 2016, and 2021. The monument was demolished in January 2024 after North Korea abandoned reunification.

History

North Korea broke ground for the monument on 14 August 1999. It initially aimed to finish the arch by 15 August 2000, marking the 55th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan. The original plan was to have a 55-metre pillar with three branches to represent Koreans in the north, the south, and overseas. In July 2000, the Korean-American website Minjok Tongshin reported North Korea would change the location and design of the monument, supposedly because it received more support and commemorative bricks from South Korea than expected. According to NK News, North Korea's decision reportedly came shortly after the 2000 inter-Korean summit.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Arch of Reunification” as pyongyang Monument. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Arch, Reunification and Pyongyang.

Editorial reviewA strong orientation record where physical form, institutional use and historical geography need to be read together. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—2001, 2002, 2015, 2016—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 2001. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Arch, Reunification and Pyongyang providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Arch of Reunification”, the useful work is to connect “pyongyang Monument” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Feb 27, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q94731. Authority coordinates are 38.965, 125.716. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2001, 2002, 2015 and 2016.

Critical limits

Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.

Best used for
  • Historic place names
  • Jurisdictional context
  • Routes into maps and plans
Verify next

Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Arch of Reunification”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Arch of Reunification primary sources, Arch of Reunification archive and Arch research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Arch of Reunification”?
  2. Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
  3. What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Arch of Reunification” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.