UNC's future plan on NK mine blast issue under wraps
Summary
The United Nations Command is withholding details of possible follow-up measures after a North Korean land mine explosion south of the Military Demarcation Line on Sept. 21. A joint UNC-South Korean investigation found that North Korea violated the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement, seriously injuring South Korean soldiers. South Korea is reviewing whether to seek action from the U.N. Security Council, while its military removes mines near the blast site.
Key Facts
- The UNC has 18 member countries and is led by U.S. Army Gen. Xavier Brunson, who also heads U.S. Forces Korea and the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command.
- The UNC operates under the direction of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff rather than the operational control of the U.N. Secretariat or the U.N. Security Council.
- The UNC’s Military Armistice Commission Secretariat is responsible for investigating alleged armistice violations and providing consolidated reports to the UNSC on routine and exceptional occasions.
- In 2011, a UNC report on North Korea’s shelling of Yeonpyeong Island was circulated as an official U.N. document at the U.S. government’s request.
- Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said South Korea was reviewing four options: seeking a UNSC chief’s statement, pursuing a resolution, sending a letter, or taking no action.
UNC has no obligation to report issue to UNSC: sources
The United Nations and South Korean flags fly at a frontline guard post in the Demilitarized Zone in this undated photo. Newsis
The United Nations Command (UNC) is not disclosing what follow-up measures it would take in response to the North Korean land mine explosion south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), although it recognized the North violated the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement.
According to sources familiar with the UNC, Thursday, details of possible next steps cannot be disclosed at this stage, while the absence of an immediate measure does not mean further action has been ruled out.
Late last month, the UNC and South Korean military conducted a joint investigation on the site of the Sept. 21 mine blast within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which seriously injured several South Korean soldiers, and announced the North violated the armistice agreement by laying mines in South Korean territory.
Sources said that besides the official announcement of the armistice violation, UNC so far has nothing to additionally announce, such as whether it would raise the issue to the U.N.
The command’s relationship with the U.N. involves separate questions of operational authority and reporting responsibilities.
UNC consists of 18 member countries and is led by U.S. Army Gen. Xavier Brunson, who concurrently heads U.S. Forces Korea and the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command.
Its multinational membership provides channels for consultation and coordination among participating countries.
Despite its name, however, UNC operates under the direction of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff rather than under the operational control of the U.N. Secretariat or the U.N. Security Council (UNSC), so it does not have an obligation to report such cases to U.N. bodies, according to the sources.
UNC's official website identifies investigating alleged armistice violations and providing consolidated reports to the UNSC on routine and exceptional occasions among the responsibilities of its Military Armistice Commission Secretariat.
The description does not specify whether every violation requires a separate submission.
But there were cases that North Korea-related issues had been reported by the UNC to the U.N.
In 2011, a UNC report on North Korea’s shelling of Yeonpyeong Island was circulated as an official U.N. document at the U.S. government’s request. It described the attack as deliberate and planned, rejecting Pyongyang’s claim of self-defense.
Meanwhile, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is reviewing its response options, including sending a letter to the head of the UNSC to call for U.N.-level actions.
"If the issue is dealt with at the UNSC, it could lead to a statement by the UNSC chief or the adoption of a resolution. Or we could just send a letter or not do it at all ... We are reviewing all four options," Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said during a National Assembly audit when asked what actions would be possible.
South Korea's military also conducted mine removal operations around the explosion site. Its Joint Chiefs of Staff also demanded an apology from Pyongyang and warned that it would continue removing North Korean minefields south of the MDL unless the North clears them voluntarily.
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