Seoul: The United Nations Command (UNC) has decided not to move forward with its previously proposed plan to create a new security brigade, following discussions with South Korea, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back announced on Friday. The decision came in the wake of news reports indicating the UNC's intention to establish a brigade that would unify its border security and armistice enforcement operations.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the proposed plan aimed to consolidate the responsibilities of the UNC's security battalion at Camp Bonifas and the Military Armistice Commission (MAC) secretariat at Camp Humphreys into a single brigade. This new unit would have been tasked with guarding the Joint Security Area (JSA) and enforcing the Armistice Agreement, which ended the Korean War in 1953. However, South Korea expressed opposition to the plan, leading to further discussions between the two parties.

Defense Minister Ahn stated that after consultations, both sides agreed not to proceed with the brigade's establishment or hold any launch ceremonies. When questioned if this meant the plan was entirely abandoned, Ahn confirmed that was indeed the case. However, he refrained from confirming whether he had directly communicated South Korea's objections to U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson, who also serves as the UNC commander.

Sources revealed that Brunson had brought up the matter during a recent meeting with Ahn. The defense ministry described the news reports about the brigade as "untrue" and declined to disclose specifics of the discussions with the UNC. Ahn emphasized that the issue was resolved through bilateral consultations, highlighting the necessity of mutual agreement in such matters.

Despite the announcement, the UNC did not explicitly confirm if the brigade plan was abandoned, indicating that the reorganization could still be underway as part of its regular review process. The UNC stated that current plans involve internal resource reorganization without any increase in personnel, infrastructure, or capabilities on the Korean Peninsula.

The recent tension between Seoul and the UNC arose after the UNC publicly objected to South Korea's efforts to manage certain areas of the southern half of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Seoul might perceive the UNC's reorganization as an attempt to bolster its control over the DMZ by integrating key operational functions before South Korea assumes wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States.

The UNC reassured that the restructuring aims to enhance command and control, coordination, and support while upholding its responsibilities under the 1953 Armistice Agreement. The organization also noted that it had kept the South Korean government informed throughout the planning process.