The Bridge of No Return runs astride the
Military Demarcation Line. After the Armistice Agreement in 1953, prisoners
of war from both sides were exchanged on this bridge. They were
allowed to make a free irreversible choice of which side they wanted to be
on, whether to return to their place of origin or not. Many never saw
their families again because of the choice they made. The name "Bridge
of no Return" came from the fact that the prisoners of war who voluntarily
chose to go to North Korea instead of staying in the South would be unable
to return to South Korea.
