opinion

Kim Kwang Myong, a researcher of the Institute for Disarmament and Peace of the DPRK Foreign Ministry, released the following article titled "The revival of the 'UN Command' is the second version of expansion of NATO and a detonator for a new world war":

It has been 74 years since the US cooked up the "UN Command" and 67 years since it dragged the "UN Command" into the ROK to reinvade the DPRK.

The UN General Assembly held more than 40 years ago adopted a resolution on dissolving the "UN Command" in order to ensure lasting peace on the Korean peninsula and regain the authority and impartiality of the UN. But, the "UN Command" is now revealing its aggressive and provocative nature more clearly.

The revival and expansion of the "UN Command", which was born as a war tool and ill-famed as an organization for confrontation, foretell more unstable and unpredictable security environment not only the Korean peninsula and the Asia-Pacific region but also the rest of the world would face.

The "UN Command", which should have been dissolved long ago, is a military organization that the US established in 1950 to drag the armed forces of its vassal states into the Korean war by abusing the name of the UN.

In July 1950 after the outbreak of the Korean war, the US railroaded a resolution on dragging US-led multinational armed forces into the Korean war by taking an opportunity when the former Soviet Union did not take part in the activities of the UN Security Council, and cooked up the "UN Command". In July 1957 after the ceasefire, the US drew the headquarters of the "UN Command" into the Korean peninsula to make preparations for a new war against the DPRK.

In the 1970s, the US transferred the "authority for military operation" of the "command" to the US-ROK Combined Forces Command, overpowered by the demand of the international community for dissolving the "UN Command". But in the 21st century the US has revived the military functions of the "UN Command" one by one while concentrating its strategic focus on the Asia-Pacific region.

First, in order to restore the position of the "UN Command" as a combat command controlling multinational forces, the US appointed military generals of its vassal states as vice commanders of the "UN Command" and appointed full-time officers as liaison representatives of the "command" which had been occupied by military attachés of the embassies of its vassal states in the ROK to readjust the machinery.

Moreover, it has staged actual manoeuvres involving active armed forces of the member states of the "UN Command" including fighters and warships, free from the existing usage of letting representatives of the member states of "UN Command" participate in computer simulation during the US-ROK joint military exercises.

The US arranged a defense authority meeting between the ROK and a member nation of the "UN Command" in November last year. And it discussed the issue of making practical use of all capabilities of the "UN Command", the issue of increasing the capability of the "command" to fight a war and the issue of laying a systematic framework for introducing the forces of the "command" member nations in contingency of the Korean peninsula.

This proves that the "UN Command", which had remained in name only, is evolving into a war command worthy of the name against independent and sovereign states in the region.

Today the world is clearly witnessing that NATO's "eastward advance" which continued for scores of years has brought fatal consequences to the security environment of Europe.

As NATO broke its promise of not expanding its domain even an inch and triggered off the security crisis in Europe by accepting 14 countries, the US attempt to revive and expand the functions of the "UN Command" in disregard of the international community's concern and demand is the root cause of increased possibility of a new physical conflict in the Asia-Pacific region.

The US attempt to revive the "UN Command" is the second version of the expansion of NATO and a detonator that can trigger off a new world war.

The countries joining the US moves for reviving the "UN Command" must realize that they are embroiled in a very dangerous and self-wrong act.

The US is getting more frantic in its military nexus with its vassal forces to maintain its ever-precarious hegemonic position. Such behaviour requires incessant counteraction to redress the imbalance in the dynamic relations that may arise in the region and to deter a new military conflict.

The DPRK will continue to make responsible efforts to deter the reckless acts of the US and its followers disturbing peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in the region and forcing a holocaust of war on humankind and thus firmly defend the security and interests of the country and the global peace and stability.