(ATTN: ADDS Ahn's remarks, other details in paras 9-13, 16-19)

By Kim Seung-yeon and Kim Hyun-soo

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- The United Nations Command (UNC) has agreed to not proceed with its plan to establish a brigade combining its border security and armistice enforcement operations after consultations with South Korea, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Friday.

Ahn made the remark following news reports that the UNC is pushing to create a new brigade responsible for guarding the Joint Security Area (JSA) inside the border village of Panmunjom and enforcing the Armistice Agreement that halted the 1950-53 Korean War.

Under the existing structure, the UNC's security battalion at Camp Bonifas in Paju, north of Seoul, guards the JSA, while the secretariat of the Military Armistice Commission (MAC) at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, some 60 kilometers south of Seoul, handles border entry approvals and investigations into armistice violations, among other missions.

The reported UNC plan calls for consolidating these operations into one brigade, which will be led by the MAC commander.

South Korea has expressed opposition to the plan, the news reports said.

"(We) discussed (the issue) with each other and came to an agreement that (the UNC) probably would not go ahead with the establishment of the security brigade, or hold a (launch) ceremony for it," Ahn told reporters when asked about the news reports.

Asked whether it meant that the brigade will not be established at all, Ahn said that would be the case.

Ahn declined to confirm whether he had delivered Seoul's objection to U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson, who doubles as the UNC commander, only saying that the two sides meet and communicate frequently.

Sources said Brunson raised this matter to Ahn in their recent meeting.

The defense ministry dismissed the news reports as "untrue," declining to confirm details of discussions with the UNC.

Speaking to reporters later in the day, Ahn reiterated that the issue was handled through bilateral consultations.

"These kinds of matters would require mutual agreement," he said. "The fact that we communicated means that we have reached a certain level of understanding."

The UNC, however, did not confirm or clarify whether the plan for a new brigade was scrapped, suggesting that the reshuffle may be ongoing as it routinely reviews its organization to ensure an effective execution of its core missions.

"Current planning reflects an internal reorganization of existing resources only, with zero growth in personnel, infrastructure, or capabilities on the Korean Peninsula," it said in response to a query by Yonhap News Agency.

The UNC also noted that it had informed the South Korean government of the planning efforts throughout the consideration process.

The latest underlying tension between Seoul and the UNC came after the UNC issued a rare open objection to Seoul's move to manage some parts of the southern half of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), an inter-Korean buffer zone controlled by the UNC.

Seoul might interpret the UNC's reorganization as a push to reinforce its authority over the DMZ by integrating its key operational functions.

The move could also signal an effort to secure the UNC's longstanding control over the border before Seoul retakes wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington.

Questions have arisen over whether the UNC will retain its influence once South Korea takes over wartime command, which is presently held by the four-star USFK commander who concurrently serves as the UNC commander.

"This effort is intended to improve command and control, coordination, and support while maintaining UNC's existing responsibilities under the 1953 Armistice Agreement," the UNC said.

elly@yna.co.kr

sookim@yna.co.kr

(END)

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