For the inter-Korean talks in the past, officials from both Koreas separately entered the conference room at Panmunjeom; South Korean officials used the entrance on the left side while their North Korean counterparts used the entrance in the center on the right side. They faced each other sitting at a rectangular table. An artwork depicting Hallasan Mountain was hanging on the wall.

The room has now received a facelift for the upcoming inter-Korean summit. The overall concept applied to the makeover was "Peace, A New Start," which is the slogan of the historic summit.

First of all, officials from both sides will enter the room together through the main entrance.

Using the rails of a bridge found in palaces as the motif, the legs of the table were designed to represent two different bridges being united. The table top is round, a departure from the usual, rigid rectangular shape, to help bridge the psychological distance stemming from the physical boundary marked by the Military Demarcation Line and 70 years of division. It is also intended to promote candid, heart-to-heart discussions among officials from both sides sitting around the round table.  

The width of the table top has been determined to symbolize the year 1953 when the armistice was concluded and the year 2018 when the inter-Korean summit is being held. The diameter of the table where the two leaders will sit face-to-face is 2018 mm. As such, the table has been designed with the intention of having it preserved as a momentous symbol of the historic 2018 Inter-Korean Summit held for the realization of the settlement of peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The chairs for the two heads of state were specially made for the summit. They were designed with the concept of linkage found in the structure of Korean traditional furniture, and an image of the Korean Peninsula was engraved on the top portion of the back.

Geumgangsan Mountain seen from Sangpaldam Ponds, a painting that portrays the high and healthy spirit of the mountain by Shin Jang-sik, is on display. Since taking the position of assistant art director for the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics, Shin started painting the mountain, now in the North, that contains an earnest prayer of the people. Shin has visited the mountain over 10 times to paint Twelve Scenes of Geumgangsan depicting the four seasons of the mountain.

The painting was selected because Geumgangsan was one of the most famous mountains on the Korean Peninsula that every Korean longed to visit, though South Koreans have not been able to visit the place since 2008. The painting of Geumgangsan Mountain, the symbol of reconciliation and cooperation between the two Koreas, was brought into the venue of the summit to wish for its success.

The interior was designed with the motif of the main hall of a traditional Korean house to emulate its atmosphere as a whole. In particular, traditional-style windows were installed on both sides of the wall. They were assembled with traditional methods by which wooden pieces were fastened to each other without the use of nails or glue so that they could last and maintain their beauty without becoming warped. The window installation is meant to hope that on the occasion of the summit, a solid relationship of trust between the two Koreas would last a long time like the traditional windows.

Bluish carpets were laid in the meeting room to hope that the summit would pave the way for a new start for peace on the Korean Peninsula by bringing in the beautiful and healthy spirit of the nature of the Peninsula.

※ Photo caption :
Painting displayed at the center of the conference room: Geumgangsan Mountain seen from Sangpaldam Ponds by Shin Jang-sik, 2001, hanji paper and acryl on canvas, 628x181 cm