Key facts
- Foreign Minister Cho Hyun complained to U.S. Ambassador Michelle Steel last week.
- The complaint was over USFK Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson's remarks on the inter-Korean border.
- Brunson's comments questioned South Korea's territorial sovereignty from the U.N. Command's perspective.
- The U.N. Command clarified that South Korean sovereignty was not in question.
- Seoul and Washington are consulting on the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON).
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun lodged a complaint with U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel last week over remarks made by the chief of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) concerning the inter-Korean border. The controversy arose from comments by USFK Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson, who also commands the U.N. Command (UNC), suggesting that from the UNC's perspective, South Korean territory begins at the southern fence line of the Demilitarized Zone. While the UNC later clarified that South Korean sovereignty was not in question, some South Korean lawmakers accused Brunson of questioning the nation's territorial sovereignty. The government has conveyed its concerns, and the U.S. has indicated it understands Seoul's position. Additionally, lawmakers urged a strong protest regarding Brunson's remarks on conditions for retaking wartime operational control (OPCON), a transfer that President Lee Jae Myung and Minister Cho support.