Seoul: The American-led United Nations Command (UNC) has asserted that the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), marking the boundary between North and South Korea, remains under its authority. This statement comes in response to an internal revision by South Korea's military regarding land border rules aimed at preventing accidental clashes with North Korea.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the UNC reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the Armistice Agreement, including the MDL, and supporting measures to prevent escalation and promote stability within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). This statement was issued after inquiries about the UNC's perspective on the South Korean military's planned revisions to border rules. The Korean military recently refined the MDL markers to reduce discrepancies between the two sides.

The UNC emphasized that the Military Demarcation Line was established in Map Volume I of the Korean Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953, following a series of armistice negotiations. Last week, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff directed troops to prioritize markers indicating the MDL when making decisions and apply the South Korean military map and a line connecting MDL markers set out by the UNC when they are difficult to discern.

Critics argue that this move could favor North Korean troops by allowing the military to use a line drawn farther south when determining border crossings. In response to Seoul's recent proposal for military talks with Pyongyang, the UNC insisted 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, amid a surge in the number of North Korean soldiers crossing the MDL while working near the border. The UNC's statement followed a rare stance earlier this month, objecting to a bill proposed by ruling party lawmakers that seeks to grant the South Korean government control of non-military access to the DMZ.

The UNC highlighted its role since 1953 as the successful administrator of the DMZ, crucial in maintaining stability during times of heightened inter-Korean tensions. It also referenced Article 1 of the armistice agreement, which outlines the responsibility of the UNC chief, who doubles as the commander of the U.S. Forces Korea, and the jurisdiction granting control of access to the UNC Military Armistice Commission.