South Korea Protests US Commander’s Remarks on Inter-Korean Border
USFK Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson, who also leads the UN Command (UNC), said during a seminar in Washington earlier this month that, from the UNC’s standpoint, South Korean territory begins at the southern fence of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which was established under the armistice ending the 1950-53 Korean War.
“Last week, I called Steel to the foreign ministry to convey our position following Brunson’s remarks. I will raise the matter with the U.S. side again,” Cho said after a lawmaker urged the government to deliver “a clear warning” to Washington regarding the comments.
South Korea’s Constitution defines the country’s territory as covering the entire Korean Peninsula and its surrounding islands.
In response to the controversy, the UNC clarified that South Korea’s sovereignty was not being challenged, explaining that Brunson was discussing the command’s military and administrative responsibilities under the Armistice Agreement.
Lawmakers also called on the Foreign Ministry to formally protest Brunson’s separate remarks that “conditions have changed” regarding South Korea’s efforts to regain wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States.
“I believe we should retake wartime OPCON as soon as possible,” Cho said. “The two countries’ military authorities were continuing discussions on the timing of the transfer, and the talks were proceeding well.”
South Korea’s presidential office said Seoul and Washington remained engaged in consultations under their existing agreement, emphasizing that Brunson’s comments reflected his personal views rather than the official position of the US government.
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