SEOUL-- South Korea's unification ministry has lodged a complaint against the United Nations Command (UNC) over its unilateral announcement of the decision to resume a tour program to the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom, according to a ministry official Thursday, in an unusual exposure of disharmony between the two authorities that have long cooperated on such issues.
Earlier in the day, the UNC broke the news that the tours to Panmunjom, or the Joint Security Area, in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas will resume on Nov. 30 in line with South Korea's "living with COVID-19" campaign.
The ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, did not receive any prior notice on the exact timing of the announcement, however, despite an agreement to release relevant news "under coordination," the official told reporters on the customary condition of anonymity.
"As the Panmunjom tour program requires close cooperation among related agencies, including the UNC and the Ministry of Unification (MOU), I believe it is necessary to follow agreements made in the course of the consultations," the official added. "We raised the issue (with the UNC) and said a recurrence of similar situations should be prevented."
The command, in response, vowed efforts to prevent similar incidents, the official said.
Later in the day, the UNC said that it is "not aware of any formal complaint" from the ministry.
"We are uncertain as to the nature of this issue, given we have undertaken deliberate consultation with MOU since October 26 regarding the resumption of JSA orientation tours," it said in a text message sent to reporters.
The command also pointed out that it embargoed a press release with the media Wednesday evening following a time and date that was "coordinated and specifically requested by the ministry."
It is rare for a South Korean government office to publicly express discontent with the UNC, which plays a role as the enforcer of the armistice agreement that effectively ended the 1950-53 Korean War.
Established in 1950 under a U.N. mandate in response to North Korea's military provocations, the command is headed by Gen. Paul LaCamera, who also leads the 28,500-strong U.S. forces in South Korea and the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command.
Source: Yonhap News Agency