The Pink Landline That Brings Camaraderie To The DMZ

A photo taken on March 18, 2018 shows South Korean soldiers standing guard before a United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC) meeting hut in the truce village of Panmunjom within the Demilitarized... A photo taken on March 18, 2018 shows South Korean soldiers standing guard before a United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC) meeting hut in the truce village of Panmunjom within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea. - A peace treaty to formally end the Korean War "must be pursued", South Korean President Moon Jae-in said April 19, ahead of a summit next week with Kim Jong Un, leader of the nuclear-armed North. (Photo by Ed JONES / AFP) / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Ed JONES has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [March 18] instead of [March 19]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. (Photo credit should read ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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A group of mostly American soldiers sits by an old pink landline every day, waiting for the North Koreans to call.

And call they do, at 9:30 AM and 3:30 PM, conveying messages across the highly-armed Demilitarized Zone.

According to the Wall Street Journal, one soldier in particular — Lt. Cmdr. Daniel McShane — has spoken with his North Korean counterparts enough to have chatted about their love lives and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The contact has stayed consistent, even as tensions between the U.S. and North Korea have escalated in recent months.

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Notable Replies

  1. " has spoken with his North Korean counterparts enough to have chatted about their love lives and the Los Angeles Dodgers."

    A rare gleam of light in this dark and dispiriting time.

  2. Hi Margie
    Hi Alice
    What’s the story? Is it gory?
    What’s the word? lines are blurred
    Between the Dear Leader and Him

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