The border between North and South Korea has a new source of light this holiday season: three Christmas trees. The steel trees -- adorned with lights and topped with crosses -- stand on South Korea’s Aegibong Peak, less than two miles from North Korea, as well as two other border observatories.

A long-standing project by local Christians since 1954, the Aegibong Christmas tree had not been lit since 2004 when both countries agreed to end propaganda activities near the border. The tree was considered a type of propaganda.

However, after an exchange of artillery fire at South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island that killed two soldiers in 2010, the South Korean government allowed the tree to be reinstated, despite heated protests from North Korea.