[Anchor]

Regarding remarks by the commander of the U.S. Forces Korea that the Republic of Korea begins at the southern barbed wire fence of the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea's Army Chief of Staff firmly stated during a parliamentary audit that he "cannot agree." Meanwhile, President Lee Jae-myung said that South Korea-U.S. consultations are moving toward the return of wartime operational control.

Choi Jae-yeong reports.

[Reporter]

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

On October 14, at a forum held in Washington, D.C., he stated, "From a UNC perspective, the Republic of Korea starts at the southern boundary fence."

Because this remark could be interpreted as excluding the area north of the fence—the Demilitarized Zone spanning about 2 kilometers—from South Korean territory, criticism was raised that it was an "infringement on territorial sovereignty."

Furthermore, criticism pointed out that it contradicts the Constitution, which stipulates the Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands as the territory of the Republic of Korea.

The remark also became a heated issue during the parliamentary audit of Army Headquarters.

[Hwang Myung-sun / Democratic Party Lawmaker (Yesterday): (Our citizens) are currently living in Daeseong-dong village inside the Demilitarized Zone. Aren't they citizens of the Republic of Korea? According to Commander Brunson's remarks, they are not our citizens.]

Army Chief of Staff Kim Gyu-ha clearly stated that he could not agree with Commander Brunson's remarks.

[Min Hong-chul / Democratic Party Lawmaker (Yesterday): South Korean territory starts from the southern boundary fence—can you agree with that?]

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

The Ministry of National Defense also stated that it was "the personal opinion of the UNC commander," adding, "Our stance on territorial sovereignty is firm."

The United Nations Command moved to tamp down the controversy, explaining that "it was an explanation of responsibilities within the Demilitarized Zone under the Armistice Agreement, and there is no question about the sovereignty of the Republic of Korea."

Regarding Commander Brunson's recent series of controversial remarks, such as 'new conditions have emerged for the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON),' the government reportedly conveyed its concerns to the U.S. through multiple channels, and the U.S. is said to have shared that understanding.

President Lee Jae-myung met with reporters and said, "Entrusting wartime operational control to another country and relying on them is by no means a situation that can be neglected," adding, "OPCON must be regained early, and South Korea-U.S. consultations are basically discussing its return."

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