Brunson's "South Korea Begins South of DMZ" Remark Sparks Controversy; Defense Ministry Calls It a Personal View

U.S. Forces Korea and United Nations Command Commander Xavier Brunson has sparked controversy over a possible violation of South Korea’s territorial sovereignty after saying, “The Republic of Korea begins at the fence line south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).” The ruling party camp called for him to retract the remark and issue a public apology, while the United Nations Command (UNC) sought to defuse the controversy, saying, “There is no question about the sovereignty of the Republic of Korea.”

According to the military on October 18, Commander Brunson made the remark on October 14 at a seminar hosted by the Gold Institute for International Strategy, a U.S. think tank, in Washington, D.C., while explaining the relationship between responsibility for managing the DMZ and sovereignty.

U.S. Forces Korea Commander Xavier Brunson speaks at a seminar hosted by the Gold Institute for International Strategy, a U.S. think tank, in Washington, D.C., on the 14th (local time). Yonhap News Agency

“There is a fence line 2,500 meters to the north and south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), respectively,” he said. “From the UNC’s perspective, the Republic of Korea begins at the fence line to the south.” He added, “That is because we manage the area to maintain the armistice.” In fact, the DMZ extends 2 kilometers on either side of the MDL.

Under the Armistice Agreement, the UNC controls access to the DMZ and the Joint Security Area (JSA) and oversees implementation of the agreement. Last year, controversy arose after it denied access to the DMZ to Cardinal Yoo Heung-sik and Kim Hyun-jong, former first deputy director of the National Security Office, among others. The ruling party camp is pursuing legislation that would allow the South Korean government to exercise jurisdiction over access to the DMZ for non-military purposes.

Kim Byung-joo, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker, criticized Commander Brunson’s remarks on Facebook on October 17, calling them “a line-crossing statement that violated the territorial sovereignty of the Republic of Korea.” He said, “The authority granted to the UNC under the Armistice Agreement is limited to approving access to the DMZ and civil administration,” and called for Brunson to retract his remarks and issue a public apology.

The Ministry of National Defense said, “This is the personal view of the commander of the United Nations Command,” adding, “Our position on the territorial sovereignty of the Republic of Korea is firm.” It continued, “We will work closely with the UNC to ensure that the exercise of sovereignty within the DMZ is compatible with the UNC’s management of the armistice.”

As the controversy spread, the UNC explained that Commander Brunson’s remarks described responsibilities in the DMZ and JSA under the Armistice Agreement, adding that they concerned “military and administrative responsibilities and are separate from the sovereignty of the Republic of Korea.”

Commander Brunson’s remarks have also become entangled with the issue of an early transition of wartime operational control (OPCON). At the same seminar on October 14, he said, “We cannot say that the conditions for the transition of OPCON have not changed,” adding, “As the plan has changed, new standards have emerged.”

In response, Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Jeong Bitna countered, “I believe that if the goalposts keep moving, the transition of OPCON will never be possible.” Observers say the successive public remarks have exposed differences in perspective between South Korea and the United States on security issues.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.