Editing Military Demarcation Line (section)

==Demarcation on land==

[[File:Demarcation Line Korea 1956.jpg|thumb|250px|MDL sign in Joint Security Area, 1956.]]
[[File:MilitaryDemarcationLine.jpg|thumb|250px|Bridge MDL sign.]]
[[File:Bridge of No Return - Southern end - MDL Korea 2.jpg|thumb|250px|Bridge MDL sign in context.]]
[[File:Korean DMZ Border 2009.jpg|thumb|250px|The MDL between the North (left) and South (right), marked by a concrete slab between the conference buildings on JSA.]]
The DMZ runs near the [[38th parallel north|38th parallel]], covering roughly {{convert|248|km|mi|sp=us}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Korean War History |url=http://www.lifeinkorea.com/culture/dmz/dmz.cfm?Subject=History2 |access-date=2006-01-12 |website=lifeinkorea.com}}</ref> [[United States|American]] and [[South Korea]]n soldiers patrol this line along the South Korean side while [[North Korea]]n soldiers patrol along the North Korean side.

In [[Korean language|Korean]], the line is called the ''Hyujeonseon'' (휴전선), meaning "armistice line."<ref>See, e.g., [http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definitions/Armistice?cx=partner-pub-0939450753529744%3Av0qd01-tdlq&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=UTF-8&q=Armistice&sa=Search#906 Dictionary – Definition of armistice.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628223126/http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definitions/Armistice?cx=partner-pub-0939450753529744%3Av0qd01-tdlq&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=UTF-8&q=Armistice&sa=Search |date=2011-06-28 }}</ref>  It is also sometimes called the ''Gunsa Bungye-seon'' (군사분계선), which literally means "military demarcation line."  However, in colloquial usage, the dividing line is more often called the ''Sampalseon'' (삼팔선, "38th parallel"), a name likely coined at the end of World War II, when it would have been an accurate description of the North-South border.

The line itself is marked off by a series of 1,292 identical signs which are placed at intervals across the peninsula. The north facing side of the signs are written in Korean and Chinese,<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b5/d7/15/b5d715f0df87a30ca14f3989d62a85bc.jpg |title=MDL sign seen from the North |type=JPG |language=Korean |publisher=i.pinimg.com}}</ref> and in Korean and English on the south facing side. The signs are now aging and rusting.<ref>{{Cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j5IstcgLvg|title=North Korean troops cross the border for guard post inspections|date=13 December 2018 |via=www.youtube.com}}</ref>

===Military incidents===
There have been [[List of border incidents involving North Korea|frequent skirmishes]] along the line since the armistice ended the fighting of the [[Korean War]].