[Anchor]

In response to remarks by Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, that South Korea begins at the southern fence line of the Demilitarized Zone, the Army Chief of Staff pushed back, saying, "I cannot agree." President Lee Jae-myung stated, "South Korea and the U.S. are holding consultations aimed at transferring wartime operational control back to Seoul."

Reporter Choi Jae-yeong reports.

[Reporter]

Gen. Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, who also serves as commander of the United Nations Command.

At a forum held in Washington, D.C. on October 14, he stated, "From the perspective of the United Nations Command, the Republic of Korea begins at the southern fence line."

This remark drew criticism as an "infringement on territorial sovereignty," as it could be interpreted as excluding the area north of the fence line—the approximately 2-kilometer Demilitarized Zone—from South Korean territory.

Furthermore, critics pointed out that the remark contradicts the South Korean Constitution, which defines the Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands as the territory of the Republic of Korea.

The remark also came under scrutiny during the parliamentary audit of the Army Headquarters.

[Hwang Myeong-seon / Democratic Party Lawmaker (October 19) : "(Our citizens) are living in Daeseong-dong village in the Demilitarized Zone right now. Aren't they citizens of the Republic of Korea? According to Commander Brunson, they wouldn't be our citizens."]

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Kim Gyu-ha made it clear that he could not agree with Brunson's remark.

[Min Hong-chul / Democratic Party Lawmaker (October 19) : "That the territory of the Republic of Korea begins from the southern fence line, can you agree with that?"]

[Kim Gyu-ha / Army Chief of Staff (October 19) : "I cannot agree."]

The Ministry of National Defense also characterized it as "the UNC commander's personal opinion," stating, "Our stance on territorial sovereignty is firm."

The United Nations Command moved to defuse the controversy, stating that the remark was "an explanation of responsibilities within the Demilitarized Zone under the Armistice Agreement, and there is no question regarding the sovereignty of the Republic of Korea."

Regarding Commander Brunson's recent string of controversial remarks, such as claiming that "new standards have emerged for the transfer of wartime operational control," the South Korean government has reportedly conveyed its concerns to the U.S. side through multiple channels, and the U.S. side is said to have shared those concerns.

President Lee Jae-myung met with reporters and said, "Entrusting wartime operational control to another country and relying on it is not a situation that can ever be left unaddressed," adding, "OPCON must be transferred early, and South Korea-U.S. consultations are fundamentally progressing toward getting it returned."

Video by Kim Hyun-sang and Cho Chang-hyun | Video Editing by Jeong Seong-hoon | Graphics by Kim Han-gil and Byun Da-young