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How did the Korean Armistice Agreement create the Demilitarized Zone?

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Korean War, June–August 1950 — Korean War Map showing North Korean advances in the Korean War in June–August 1950.

The Korean Armistice Agreement, signed on July 27, 1953, established the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) as a buffer between the warring forces. Following the fixation of the cease-fire line along the final battlefront, the agreement mandated that both sides pull back their respective troops 1.2 miles (2 km) from this boundary.1

This process created a neutral strip approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) wide and 150 miles (240 km) long, stretching across the peninsula from the mouth of the Han River in the west to the area near Kosŏng in the east. The zone includes the "truce village" of P’anmunjŏm, which served as the site for peace negotiations and subsequent diplomatic conferences. Since the armistice, the DMZ has remained a heavily fortified boundary, effectively separating North Korea and South Korea while preventing significant renewed conflict.12