Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- The new commander of U.S. forces in Korea stood just feet away from North Korean soldiers on Friday. Just one day after Gen. James D. Thurman was installed as the head of the United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/United States Forces Korea, he visited the border between North and South Korea. That area, better known as the DMZ, or Demilitarized Zone, is somewhat ironically named, considering it may be one of the most heavily fortified areas in the world. As Thurman arrived at the truce village of Panmunjom and entered the building where the armistice that ended the Korean War was signed in 1953, North Korean soldiers, some with binoculars, watched through the windows from their side of the border, behind a simple concrete threshold. They also took photographs -- the usual North Korean response to VIPs visiting the area.
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Gen. James D. Thurman is the new commander of U.S. and U.N. forces in Korea
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Thurman visited the DMZ, the tense border between North and South Korea, on Friday
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North Korean soldiers stood just feet away from Thurman, watching him and taking pictures
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Despite a 1953 armistice, the two Koreas have technically been at war since 1950
Standing at an observation post overlooking North Korea, the general said, "I thought it very important that I come to the DMZ to observe first-hand the readiness levels and the training and the leadership of the ROK (@placeholder) military and U.S. participation so I have a better understanding of the mission."