Latest news with #UNCommand
Scoop
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Commander Of US And UN Forces In Korea Discusses Korean War Anniversary In Visit To The East-West Center
Honolulu, May 15, 2025 Deterrence and diplomacy are critical to the mission of maintaining peace in Northeast Asia, Gen. Xavier T. Brunson, commander of United Nations Command, said Wednesday during a visit to the East-West Center. The Center hosted Brunson, the four-star general who has served as commander of UN Command, the ROK/US Combined Forces Command, and US Forces Korea since December 2024, for a private roundtable discussion ahead of two upcoming milestones: the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950 and the creation of the UN Command a month later. 'For over 75 years, something that was begun with a UN Security Council resolution has managed to stand, and it's protected the peace,' Gen. Brunson said in highlighting the importance of the UN Command in deterring aggression in the region. Coinciding with the Center's own 65th anniversary on May 14, the event was attended by approximately 60 invited guests and featured keynote remarks by Gen. Brunson and welcome remarks from Gen. Seo Young Lee, South Korea's consul general in Honolulu. East-West Center Presidential Chair Jean H. Lee moderated the discussion with Gen. Brunson and Timothy Martin, Seoul Bureau Chief for The Wall Street Journal. Brunson emphasized that in today's interconnected world, US relationships in the Indo-Pacific are multidimensional by necessity. 'What we find increasingly across the Indo-Pacific is that we don't have the luxury of being binary in any way, shape, or form, because our economies are entwined,' he said. 'And where economics lie, the livelihoods of the people … are also impacted and affected.' Gen. Brunson also addressed the shifting relationships among China, Russia, and North Korea, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation in the current security environment. Although fighting between North and South Korea ended with an armistice in 1953, the conflict is still considered ongoing in the absence of a formal peace treaty. The Korean War's 75th anniversary also comes at a critical moment for South Korea, which will hold a snap election on June 3rd in the wake of the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his declaration of martial law in December. The discussion with Gen. Brunson was supported by the First Hawaiian Lecture Series Fund, established by First Hawaiian Bank to provide a forum at the East-West Center for dialogue on key international issues and new ideas. In his remarks, Gen. Brunson emphasized the importance of such conversations to the security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific. 'Dialogue is absolutely crucial in this region,' he said. 'It's by dialogue that policy is informed; it's by dialogue that strategies are formulated. … And if we can see things, if we can sense things, if we can understand things better, then we can take the appropriate actions that help all boats in the region to rise.' The E ast-West Center promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Established by the US Congress in 1960, the Center serves as a resource for information and analysis on critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to exchange views, build expertise, and develop policy options.
Korea Herald
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Panmunjom tourism to partially resume in form of special tour
Tour of Joint Security Area opens with special designated tour, planned to reopen to general public in future Designated civilian tours of the Panmunjom truce village — suspended amid heightened military tensions between the two Koreas — are set to partially resume this week. According to the Ministry of Unification, 17 trained employees of the National Institute for Unification Education will participate in a special tour of the Joint Security Area in the Demilitarized Zone on Friday. Located approximately 50 kilometers north of Seoul, the area has long been used as a venue for inter-Korean talks. "We've established thorough safety measures for visitors and cooperated with the UN Command, and decided to partially begin operation with the special tours for now," a ministry official said. The ministry did not say when tours will be open to the general public, and vowed to resume visits if the special tours do not present significant problems. Panmunjom tours, organized by the ministry, grant civilians access to the South-controlled section of the truce village. The tours were initially opened to the general public following a 2018 inter-Korean agreement aimed at easing military tensions, which included the disarmament of Panmunjom. Tours were suspended after US Army Pvt. Travis King crossed the border into North Korea during a tour in July 2023. Despite temporarily resuming in November of that year, subsequent military tensions, such as North Korean forces arming themselves, forced the full shutdown of tour operations. The upcoming tour marks the first tour for Korean civilians since November 2023. Foreign nationals, such as Korean War veterans, had visited the area via United Nations Command programs, while tours held by the ministry remained on hold. The NIUE said that the agency has had an array of petitions for the tour programs to be resumed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Top US general in Korea talks maps, China, and getting Patriots back
Sitting at a desk in a remote Pentagon office, last Wednesday, Gen. Xavier Brunson has two maps displayed beside him. One hung on the wall shows the entire world, displayed in a wide rectangle. Another, printed on a paper sheet in front of him, depicts Seoul and its distance from other nearby capitals: Tokyo, Taipei, Manila and Beijing, among others. Rather than showing the usual north-to-south view of Asia, from where Brunson sits this one depicts what the region would look like if peering out from China's eastern coast. Brunson has been sharing this second map in his many meetings in Washington, while arguing for the value of his command — overseeing the 28,500 U.S. troops in Korea. Seoul has one of Asia's strongest militaries and sits inside the vital 'first island chain' of countries that arc off China's coast like a parenthesis. 'It begins with looking from an enemy's perspective and then seeing where you are and how you might array your capabilities,' Brunson said. But South Korea also has one of the world's most alarming neighbors. In the last year, North Korea has traded troops and ammunition in exchange for Russian technology — on missiles, satellites, submarines, drones and most alarmingly a rogue nuclear program. Last year, North Korea conducted 47 ballistic missile tests, a number Brunson now expects to go down with Russia's aid. All this makes Brunson's job — or jobs — harder. Alongside U.S. forces on the peninsula, he would also lead South Korean troops in the case of a war, an arrangement known as Combined Forces Command, or CFC. He also helms United Nations Command, the group of 18 countries that have helped keep the peace on the Korean Peninsula since 1950. Brunson sat down with Defense News on May 7 to discuss the 75th anniversary of UN Command, the future of U.S. forces in Korea and the assumptions he's trying to upend with the help of his maps. This interview has been edited for brevity. North Korea has changed its policies — more emphasis on sovereignty, a new view of the southern border. How does UN Command need to change as well? The North Koreans have changed fundamentally. The associations amongst the adversaries — those authoritarian colluders, if you will — in China and Russia and the [Democratic People's Republic of Korea], those relationships have changed and matured. We have to do the same thing. What's really in the offing is that year 76 forward is going to be different for UN Command. The mandate remains, but our composition, our posture even may change in the future. And we've got to be flexible enough to do that. Do you expect big changes to posture or membership, potentially the addition of new member states? I won't mention these nations because those are bilateral things that are going on with the Republic of Korea, but there are nations that want to participate. We just recently got a New Zealand contingent that's come to the peninsula. And if you talk about things that excite me, it's when I talk to those ambassadors and they look at me and they say: 'Hey, we're working to get our soldiers here.' I wanted to ask about one of the other hats that you wear, which is the CFC. Has the timeline for handing over operational control of South Korean forces moved up? I've heard some mention of the urgency of that. My piece is to continue to talk to leadership about where we stand. We're continually trying to assess where we are along the bilaterally agreed upon conditions-based [operational control] transfer. If that decision is made, then my job is to now develop the strategy that lets us keep that policy moving forward. When leadership has made a decision, it's my job to make it work. To be clear, there's no decision that has been made yet, though? None that I know of. There were a few Patriot air defense batteries that were brought away from the peninsula to help with the campaign in the Middle East. Now we've reached a ceasefire in Yemen, do you know when those are coming back? No, I don't know when exactly those capabilities are going to come back. But I do know that the [Indo-Pacific Command] commander has been able to ensure that we had other capabilities for an extended period of time within the Republic Korea. This is not the first time that capabilities have left the peninsula. In rough order, between 50 and 60 times, capabilities have gone to other places to support [military needs] around the globe. My job is to ensure that we're able to meet the strictures of the Mutual Defense Treaty. I can say unequivocally, we can do everything that we're supposed to do. I just want the stuff back because those are my people. The increasing adversary that people in this building are concerned about is China. How are you working with South Korea to reorient around that threat? Nations are going to make decisions that align with their own interests — always. There are economic relationships in the Indo-Pacific. There are security relationships in the Indo-Pacific. What I find is that our ability to see, sense, and understand in and around the peninsula is coming closer in alignment. For example, in the West Sea right now, there are structures being erected by the Chinese. The Koreans see that. There are encroachments in and around the northern limit line by Chinese fishing vessels and Chinese naval vessels that cause concern to the Koreans. They understand that those are threats that may have to be dealt with at some point in time. South Korea has an election in June after the last president was impeached for declaring martial law. Regardless of who wins, do you think the recent work with Japan, South Korea will last? I think it will survive because the threat will continue to metastasize. If there's a thing that our adversaries have learned over time is the power of alliances, the power of proxies. You can look in the Middle East and see a proxy fight that's going on. You can look in our region now, and we've got North Korea sending troops and materiel to Russia to participate in the conflict, not their own. We see China is still a benefactor for North Korea. The new leader in the Republic of Korea from 4 June forward has to take on the fact that his nation sits at the juncture of an alliance of sorts that he's got to counter. How many North Korean troops are now in Russia? I think 10 to 12 [thousand] is where we throw our estimates at. This alignment gives North Korea different options than they've had previously facing sanctions. How do you continue to counter that? It's capability on capability. What can our adversaries do? What do we need to be able to do? That really leads me to a sort of integrated assurance. It's using all the elements of power, of national power to assure our friends, partners and allies of our commitment to the alliance. What we have that's unique in South Korea is we have diplomacy, and we've got the military there, partnered for the past 70 years. We have the means to continue to assure our ally that we are there. That also sounds the bell every day that we're on the peninsula to Russia and China. We're in the neighborhood.
Korea Herald
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
S. Korea, US update wartime plans against North Korea's ‘increasingly sophisticated threats'
South Korea and the US have updated their joint wartime operation plans, in response to North Korea's 'increasingly sophisticated' nuclear weapons program, the commander of US Forces Korea said late Wednesday. Gen. Xavier Brunson, who also leads the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command and UN Command, said that the decades-old allies signed a new joint wartime operations plan last year, in a written statement submitted to the US House Armed Services Committee. "Last year, we took a significant step forward in our combat readiness when the new combined Operations Plan was signed," Brunson said, according to a document distributed to reporters by the USFK. "Over the past several years, alliance planners worked diligently to construct and develop this plan, constantly testing and validating its concepts through execution during our biannual FS and UFS exercise events," he added. Brunson referred to regular joint South Korea-US military drills, known as Freedom Shield and Ulchi Freedom Shield. The new wartime operations plan, the name of which has yet to be officially announced, is believed to have replaced OPLAN 5015, which was signed in 2015. Seoul and Washington in recent years have cooperated to update the plan, with critics voicing the need for the plan to recognize the latest advances in the North's nuclear program. Brunson stressed that the new plan addresses the latest shifts in the security environment surrounding the Korean Peninsula. 'In response to the evolving security environment, where the DPRK's WMD and missile capabilities are increasingly sophisticated, the new OPLAN better prepares CFC prior to armed conflict,' he said. "We will continue to use this plan, refine it, conduct exercises and develop our OAIs to support it." DPRK stands for North Korea's official name the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, while OAI stands for operations, activities and investments. WMD refers to weapons of mass destruction. Brunson highlighted the advantages of US strategic assets and troops deployed on the Korean Peninsula as well. The remarks come amid growing concerns here that Washington could shift the primary role of the 28,500 US troops stationed in South Korea from countering North Korean threats to deterring a potential Chinese move against Taiwan. 'Moreover, US strategic asset deployments to the Korean Peninsula allow training opportunities with multinational forces, operationalize extended deterrence and signal US commitment to the security of the ROK,' Brunson explained, referring to South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. 'The ROK sits at the heart of Northeast Asia, which remains a critical region among great powers and regional actors.' Brunson also said that Washington should keep in mind the security threats on the Korean Peninsula could have 'far-reaching implications' for the US. 'It is critical to recognize that a potential conflict on the Korean Peninsula could have far-reaching implications for US interests, regional and global affairs,' he said.
