(Yonhap Interview) U.N. Command seeks 'open dialogue' as it probes inter-Korean border incidents: deputy chief

이민지 / 2024-09-13 06:00:05

(Yonhap Interview) UN Command-deputy chief

▲ Lt. Gen. Derek Macaulay, deputy commander of the U.N. Command, speaks in an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Seoul on Sept. 11, 2024. (Yonhap)

▲ This undated file photo, released by the U.N. Command on Jan. 4, 2023, shows the command's "pink phone" at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom, which serves as a direct communication line with the North Korean military. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(Yonhap Interview) UN Command-deputy chief

(Yonhap Interview) U.N. Command seeks 'open dialogue' as it probes inter-Korean border incidents: deputy chief

By Lee Minji

SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- The U.N. Command (UNC) is most focused on ensuring open dialogue to reduce tensions and maintain the armistice, its deputy chief has said, as the U.S.-led multinational force has been investigating a series of inter-Korean border incidents.

Lt. Gen. Derek Macaulay said tensions on the peninsula have "really started to take place" following the dissolution of the 2018 military agreement that calls for, among other things, halting all hostile military activity between the Koreas and setting up maritime buffer zones.

South Korea fully suspended the tension-reduction pact in June as the North conducted GPS jamming attacks and sent balloons, including those that carried trash and manure, across the border.

"There is a number of events that have taken place, some of which would have been armistice violations and have been investigated," Macaulay said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday.

While Macaulay did not elaborate on the outcome of the UNC's probes, he stressed the principle of having a balanced understanding of the situation and talking it through with relevant stakeholders in an open dialogue.

"When an infraction or perceived infraction to the armistice occurs, then the commander orders an investigation and an investigation team is immediately dispatched to gather the information from all parties, to really have a full understanding of the situation and provide recommendations to him and then in open dialogue to the parties that are involved," he said.

"We want to focus on the dialogue and providing that avenue to maintain and ensure the safety and security of the peninsula. That's really where we as UNC are focused on in the current situation," Macaulay said.

Against such a backdrop, Macaulay said the so-called pink phone, a rare military telephone line that connects the UNC with the North, is still an effective means of communication.

"It is in good maintenance and we are able to communicate when and if required and they are able to communicate with us when they need to," he said.

When asked about the possibility of resuming public tours to the Joint Security Area within the Demilitarized Zone that have been suspended following the U.S. Army private Travis King's border crossing and heightened border tensions, Macaulay hinted that talks are under way.

"We'll continue to work with the government to see how we can make them open to a broader audience," he said on the tours that are currently provided on a limited basis to relevant officials. "It all depends on the situation of the day and how we can ensure the safety and security of people conducting those tours."

Macaulay called the UNC's cooperation with South Korea "phenomenal" and said UNC members seem to be committed "more than ever" amid the changing security environment that has increased interconnectedness between the South and the world.

He flatly rejected North Korea's accusation that Germany's recent addition to the multinational force is an attempt to make an Asian version of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

"The UNC is really focused on today, maintaining and enforcing the armistice," stressing that the command was established under resolutions that are solely dedicated to the Korean Peninsula. "And certainly we don't compare ourselves to NATO."

The UNC, which consists of countries that sent troops or medical aid for South Korea during the Korean War, was established in July 1950 under a U.N. mandate to support the South against North Korea's aggression.

Macaulay assumed duty as the UNC deputy commander in December, having participated in operations in conflict zones, including in Bosnia and Iraq.

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