Here, we've reached Mugyewon. How about taking a seat on the porch and listening to the story? First, let me share a bit about this space. This hanok was initially a high-class restaurant called Ojinam, and it was relocated here from near Ikseon-dong in Jongno.

The reason this place is named Mugyewon is because it was situated near Mugyejeongsa Temple, the villa of Prince Anpyeong, who was a member of the royal family and a patron of the arts during the early Joseon period. Many people used to visit this place, along with his other villa, Bihaedang. Among those close to Prince Anpyeong, there was an outstanding artist of the early Joseon period named An Gyeon, renowned for his painting Mongyudowondo. The landscape depicted in the painting resembles the scenery we've passed by, including Segeomjeong, Baeksasil, and the distant slopes of Bugaksan Mountain.

Suddenly, I briefly felt that this place might not fit with the last part of the January 21st Road, but in fact, it is closely related to a very important event. Ojinam is where Lee Hurak, the Director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, met with Park Seongcheol, the Vice Premier of North Korea. What was discussed here led to the ‘North-South Joint Statement' announced on July 4, 1972.

The 1.21 Incident led to other incidents, such as the capture of the US spy ship Pueblo by North Korea, as well as the appearance of armed communist guerrilla units in Uljin and Samcheok regions. Tensions escalated to the point where it felt like a prelude to war.

However, both South and North Korea believed that maintaining a state of tension was not desirable. We believed that we should independently address our issues without relying on other countries. As a result, we issued the Joint Statement, emphasizing the importance of resolving inter-Korean issues based on the principles of self-reliance, peace, and national unity.

Looking back, inter-Korean relations have shifted between confrontation and peace at different times. Please remember that, after experiencing extreme tension, we were able to achieve the North-South Joint Statement of July 4th, 1972.

Doesn't Mugyewon look a bit special when you think this way? Doesn't it feel like you've spent a truly special and meaningful day walking this remarkable path together so far? At Mugyewon, various history and culture programs organized by Jongno-gu take place, so please pay them a lot of attention.