SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North and South Korea remain separated by one of the world’s most heavily armed borders. It’s a lasting reminder that the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the countries technically still at war.
More than seven decades after the conflict began, its scars and impact remain visible, not only by border area fortifications and war memorials, but also in the lives of separated families and survivors who continue to carry memories of loss and longing.
Although the fighting ended with the July 27, 1953, armistice agreement, the traces the war left behind serve as enduring reminders of the past, ensuring that history is not only remembered but passed onto future generations.
Tourists look at a steam train that was damaged during the Korean War, is displayed at the Imjingak Pavilion in Paju, South Korea, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Tourists look at a steam train that was damaged during the Korean War, is displayed at the Imjingak Pavilion in Paju, South Korea, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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Korean War veterans attend during a ceremony to mark the 76th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Korean War veterans attend during a ceremony to mark the 76th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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People hold national flags after a ceremony to mark the 76th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
People hold national flags after a ceremony to mark the 76th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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Military barbed-wire fences are placed along the express road Jayuro, with a view of the landscape of Paju visible beyond them in Paju, South Korea, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Military barbed-wire fences are placed along the express road Jayuro, with a view of the landscape of Paju visible beyond them in Paju, South Korea, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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A North Korean flag, center top, flutters in the wind on North Korea’s town, Kaepoong, as seen from the unification observatory in Paju, South Korea, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
A North Korean flag, center top, flutters in the wind on North Korea’s town, Kaepoong, as seen from the unification observatory in Paju, South Korea, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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A symbolic structure remains to commemorate the removal of the military barbed-wire fence in Goyang, South Korea, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
A symbolic structure remains to commemorate the removal of the military barbed-wire fence in Goyang, South Korea, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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A visitor looks at her smartphone near the wire fence decorated with ribbons written with messages wishing for the reunification of the two Koreas and visitors’ wish at the Imjingak Pavilion in Paju, South Korea, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
A visitor looks at her smartphone near the wire fence decorated with ribbons written with messages wishing for the reunification of the two Koreas and visitors’ wish at the Imjingak Pavilion in Paju, South Korea, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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A bridge that was destroyed during the Korean War, is seen in Paju, South Korea, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
A bridge that was destroyed during the Korean War, is seen in Paju, South Korea, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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Ethiopian veteran of the Korean War, Tesfaye Asmamaw, 95, walks with South Korean minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Kwon Oh-eul, second from left, in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Ethiopian veteran of the Korean War, Tesfaye Asmamaw, 95, walks with South Korean minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Kwon Oh-eul, second from left, in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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Magnets showing the Korean peninsular are displayed outside a souvenir shop in Paju, South Korea, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Magnets showing the Korean peninsular are displayed outside a souvenir shop in Paju, South Korea, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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South Korean student Min Woo-jin looks at monuments with the names of soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
South Korean student Min Woo-jin looks at monuments with the names of soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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South Korean Jo Suk-hyun places flower at Korean War veterans memorial in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
South Korean Jo Suk-hyun places flower at Korean War veterans memorial in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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A South Korean man points a name of his brother who was killed in the Korean War in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
A South Korean man points a name of his brother who was killed in the Korean War in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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Anti-tank barriers are placed in a stream in Goyang, South Korea, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Anti-tank barriers are placed in a stream in Goyang, South Korea, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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Former North Korean Worker’s Party building is seen near the civilian control line in Cheorwon, South Korea, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Former North Korean Worker’s Party building is seen near the civilian control line in Cheorwon, South Korea, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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A sign indicating land mines is seen near the civilian control line in Cheorwon, South Korea, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
A sign indicating land mines is seen near the civilian control line in Cheorwon, South Korea, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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Korean War veterans are greeted after a ceremony to mark the 76th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Korean War veterans are greeted after a ceremony to mark the 76th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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