Barbed wire was used as the construction material for the tower in the DMZ in Korea. It is the only known building where such wire appears and no one knows if --in bygone times--it had any other use. The scientific dating tests disclosed that the wire woven into the tower must have originated in foundries all over the world, in places such as Berlin, South Africa, the Middle East, and Korea itself, in both Eastern and Western Blocks, as they were then called.

Archeologists today are seeking appropriate methods to prevent further decay of the structure. Due to the oxidation of the steel wire,
the helixes are dissolving into a heap of rust. Some scientists say that the builders were well aware of the transient nature of the barbed wire braids as compared to the greater longevity of the stainless steel used for the bracing and connecting members.

The function of the building is not known. It was built in an era of extensive communications development, which bolsters the hypothesis that the tower must have served as a transmitter. Some experts, however, feel that the tower itself was a message