UN Command says military boundary between two Koreas under its authority

Seoul, Dec 28 : The American-led United Nations Command (UNC) has said a Military Demarcation Line (MDL) marking the boundary between the two Koreas has been under its authority, in an apparent objection to an internal revision by South Korea's military over land border rules to prevent accidental clashes with North Korea.

The UNC said in a statement to Yonhap News Agency, "The United Nations Command reaffirms its commitment to maintaining the Armistice Agreement, including the MDL, and to supporting measures that prevent escalation and promote stability within the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ)."

The statement came when asked how the UNC assessed the South Korean military's envisioned revision of border rules, after the Korean military reportedly refined the MDL markers in order to reduce discrepancies between the two sides.

"The Military Demarcation Line was established and depicted in Map Volume I of the Korean Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953, following a series of armistice negotiations," the UNC said.

Last week, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it had ordered troops to prioritise markers that indicate the MDL when making decisions, while also "comprehensively" applying the South Korean military map and a line connecting MDL markers set out by the UNC when they are difficult to discern.

Critics say the move favours North Korean troops by allowing the military to use a line drawn farther south when determining whether a border crossing has occurred.

On Seoul's recent proposal for military talks with Pyongyang, the UNC stressed that military dialogue related to the MDL should be conducted "under the auspices of the command," as stipulated in the armistice agreement.

South Korea proposed holding military talks with North Korea last month to clarify the military demarcation line, as the number of North Korean soldiers crossing the MDL while working near the border has surged in recent months.

The statement by the UNC came after it issued a rare stance earlier this month, objecting to a bill proposed by ruling party lawmakers that calls for granting the South Korean government control of non-military access to the DMZ.

"Since 1953, UNC has been the successful administrator of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), a role that has been essential in maintaining stability, especially amid periods of heightened inter-Korean tensions," the UNC said in the statement.

The UNC also specifically cited Article 1 of the armistice agreement that stated the responsibility of the UNC chief, doubling as the commander of the U.S. Forces Korea, and the jurisdiction that grants control of access to the UNC Military Armistice Commission.