UNC pushes back on Brunson's remark that S. Korea 'starts south of DMZ'

The United Nations Command moved Monday to contain the fallout from remarks by Gen. Xavier Brunson — commander of US Forces Korea, the UNC and the Combined Forces Command — who recently said South Korea "starts at the southern fence line of the demilitarized zone."

The UNC issued a statement saying "there is no question about the sovereignty of the Republic of Korea," responding to comments Brunson made Wednesday at a seminar hosted by the Gold Institute for International Strategy, a US think tank, in Washington, D.C.

"General Brunson's remarks were explaining the responsibilities given to the UNC Commander within the DMZ and Joint Security Area under the Armistice Agreement," the UNC said. "These responsibilities are military and administrative in nature, do not alter the sovereignty of the Republic of Korea, and the remarks were not intended to address the sovereignty of the Republic of Korea."

The command added that it "maintains an unwavering commitment to strengthening the alliance and to the defense of the Republic of Korea and its people."

At the seminar, Brunson said that looking at the Military Demarcation Line, "there is a fence line 2,500 meters to the north and 2,500 meters to the south" — noting the actual distance is 2 kilometers — and that "there is a zone there that I have management responsibility for, and we are having a discussion about what sovereignty means."

He went on to say: "Where does the Republic of Korea start and where does it end? From the UNC's perspective, the Republic of Korea starts at that southern fence line. That is where the Republic of Korea begins because I manage that zone to maintain the armistice."

The UNC oversees implementation of the Armistice Agreement south of the MDL in peacetime. Its functions include controlling access to the DMZ, conducting on-site inspections to verify compliance with the armistice, and investigating and adjudicating armistice violations.

Brunson, who also serves as UNC commander, appeared to be referring to his authority over the southern DMZ zone when he made the remark that South Korea begins south of the DMZ.

The controversy follows reports that the UNC last year denied DMZ access to Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik and former first deputy national security adviser Kim Hyun-jong, among others. The ruling party is now pushing legislation that would give the South Korean government jurisdiction over DMZ entry for non-military purposes.

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense described Brunson's remarks as "the personal view of the UNC commander," adding that "the Defense Ministry's position on the territorial sovereignty of the Republic of Korea is firm."

The ministry added that it "will work closely to ensure that South Korea's exercise of sovereignty within the DMZ and the UNC's armistice management can be harmonized."