UNC: "DMZ Act Violates Armistice Agreement"

"UNC Commander Responsible for Both Military and Civil Affairs in the DMZ"
"Unauthorized Civilian Entry Constitutes a Violation of the Agreement"

The United Nations Command (UNC) has raised objections to the ruling party's proposed "Act on the Peaceful Use of the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone)," arguing that it conflicts with the Armistice Agreement.

The South Korean Taegeukgi flag of Daeseongdong Village and the North Korean Kijongdong Village's flag face each other in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) of the Western Front, as seen from the border area in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On January 28, a UNC official met with reporters at the Dragon Hill Lodge Hotel in Yongsan Garrison and reiterated, "If the DMZ Act is passed, it would directly violate the Armistice Agreement and would be tantamount to the South Korean government declaring that it no longer wishes to be subject to the agreement." The official again emphasized that jurisdiction over the DMZ area south of the Military Demarcation Line belongs exclusively to the UNC.

The DMZ Act stipulates that the South Korean government would exercise authority over entry into the DMZ for non-military and peaceful purposes. The Ministry of Unification is supporting the legislation, linking it to the issue of "territorial sovereignty." However, the UNC pointed out that, under the Armistice Agreement, the Commander of the United Nations Command holds the authority and responsibility to control civilian access to the DMZ. The UNC further argued that the DMZ Act would transfer this authority to a third party (the Minister of Unification), while still holding the UNC Commander responsible for any incidents arising as a result.

The UNC official stated, "If an unfortunate incident occurs within the DMZ and war breaks out again, the responsibility will fall not on the President of the Republic of Korea, but on the Commander of the United Nations Command." The official also stressed that in 1953, the South Korean government decided to be subject to the Armistice Agreement, and that if the DMZ Act leads to civilians entering the zone without the UNC Commander's permission, it would constitute a violation of the agreement and run counter to the original purpose of the DMZ.

The UNC official added, "Such a situation could raise significant concerns not only for the South Korean government and the UNC, but also for other stakeholders." While the UNC did not specify who these "other stakeholders" are, the statement is widely interpreted as referring to the United States, which leads the UNC, and North Korea.

The UNC reiterated its longstanding position that the Commander of the United Nations Command is responsible not only for military matters within the DMZ, but also for civil administration and relief operations. The UNC emphasized that the preamble of the Armistice Agreement states that "the intent of the provisions is purely military in nature," clarifying that the agreement is not a peace treaty. This was a rebuttal to claims that the UNC's control over civilian access is excessive.

The UNC also expressed de facto opposition to the Ministry of Unification's plan to reopen three courses of the "DMZ Peace Trail"-located in Paju, Cheorwon, and Goseong within the DMZ-which have been closed to the public, stating, "These areas must still be approached with many safety concerns in mind."

On the same day, Minister of Unification Jeong Dongyoung responded to related questions at the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, saying, "What the UNC says is the UNC's position, and it is the exclusive legislative authority of the National Assembly to enact laws."

Meanwhile, the UNC also provided an explanation regarding the temporary denial of entry to the DMZ for Kim Hyun-jong, the First Deputy Director of the National Security Office. Kim later received permission and visited the DMZ.

The UNC official explained, "We received Deputy Director Kim's entry application at the end of November last year, which coincided with an incident where a South Korean official was injured by an explosion within the DMZ. At the time, we were receiving daily reports of new unexploded ordnance, mines, and various shells being discovered in Baekmagoji, so we recommended visiting another location for safety reasons."

The official also mentioned that former President Moon Jae-in had visited the DMZ twice in recent months, noting, "The UNC did not block these visits at all. The applications were submitted with sufficient notice, allowing us to provide safe support," and emphasized, "We do not arbitrarily deny entry; decisions are made based on clear grounds."

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