UNC deputy commander highlights coalition's role in defending South Korea

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- The deputy commander of the U.S.-led United Nations Command (UNC) has highlighted the multilateral role of the 18-member coalition in defending South Korea, serving as a vital deterrence component that is "well understood" by North Korea.

Lt. Gen. Scott Winter made the remarks in a press conference Thursday, stressing that the UNC's commitment dating back more than seven decades has become more important than ever amid a complex security environment.

"The incredible grouping of nations that the UNC represents brings a really important component to deterrence, to the ability to de-escalate in crisis and to have multinational legitimacy in the event of a conflict," Winter said.

With South Korea and the United States set to kick off their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise next week, Winter said the joint exercise will allow the UNC to assess how its contributions can best fit into the current security landscape and in the future.

"Every time we do an exercise, it's an opportunity to test and adjust and make sure that our command and control arrangements are fit for purpose," he said.

"My focus from United Nations Command is how do we harness the power of the 18 member states to best support CFC in a defensive scenario," he added, referring to the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command.

Established under U.N. resolutions following the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a ceasefire, not a peace treaty, the UNC is responsible for managing the armistice and supporting the CFC during contingencies.

The UNC currently has 18 member states -- 14 that sent combat troops and four that provided medical support during the three-year conflict. In the present day, they are committed to supplying multinational reinforcements, medical aid and logistical support in the event of a crisis on the Korean Peninsula.

UNC member states have also taken part in the allies' combined exercises, including the UFS exercise. While they do not engage in field training, they provide a supporting role in terms of communication, coordination and crisis management.

Winter, an Australian Army officer, assumed the post as deputy commander in January.

Winter underscored the UNC's contribution to deterrence and its ability to bring in additional capabilities to complement other defensive measures on the Korean Peninsula.

"The UNC brings together the willpower of the 18 member states, and the United Nations Command brand is one that is well understood by the DPRK," he said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Winter said that part of the UNC's focus has been on how it can support new domains, such as information, cyber and space.

"There is a very important opportunity for us to develop, but again that will be based on the needs identified in our coordination with our Korean partners," he said.

Regarding North Korea's recent fencing and land mine operations along the inter-Korean border, Winter expressed his full confidence in related investigations by the UNS currently under way.

"The UNC investigates every alleged violation (of the armistice) extremely carefully and diligently," he said. "I know there is much conjecture in the media and elsewhere. ... But I have incredible confidence in the work that is being done to enforce the armistice through the existing framework mechanisms."

Seoul has criticized Pyongyang after news reports said the North had installed barbed-wire fences less than 100 meters from the border line separating the two Koreas and was clearing land to lay land mines as close as 5 to 10 meters away.

The UNC said the North's fencing and mine-laying activities do not constitute a violation of the Armistice Agreement, saying that they serve a defensive and separation purpose.