The Democratic Party of Korea is stepping up its criticism of Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, over remarks on South Korea's territorial sovereignty and the transfer of wartime operational control. After demanding an apology from Brunson at a leadership meeting earlier this week, the party's floor leader personally expressed regret over the territorial comments.
"A number of inappropriate remarks recently made by USFK Commander Brunson are causing concern and public anger," Han Byung-do, the party's floor leader, said at a leadership meeting on Oct. 21. "Above all, the expression regarding territory is clearly a mistaken statement, in that it is directly tied to the sovereignty of the Republic of Korea." He added: "I express regret to Commander Brunson and urge him to exercise greater caution in his remarks."
The party also demanded an apology from Brunson at its leadership meeting on Oct. 19. Park Sun-won, a member of the party's supreme council, criticized the remarks as "truly inappropriate and dangerous," asking, "Why is the USFK commander deciding where the territory of the Republic of Korea begins?" He called on Brunson to "correct the expression himself and clearly explain and apologize to the people of the Republic of Korea."
The controversy erupted after Brunson said at a seminar in Washington on Oct. 14 that, from the perspective of the United Nations Command, South Korea's territory begins at the fence line south of the Demilitarized Zone. On the transfer of wartime operational control, he also said the existing conditions for the handover should be reviewed, given a changed security environment that includes North Korean missile threats. The Ministry of National Defense distanced itself from that view, saying Seoul and Washington are pursuing the transfer in line with the conditions the two sides have already agreed on.
Han stressed that Brunson's comments on wartime operational control do not represent the official position of the U.S. government. "The presidential office said Commander Brunson's remarks on changing the conditions for the transfer of wartime operational control do not represent the position of the U.S. government as a whole, and that South Korea and the United States are in consultations under the existing agreement," he said. He added that the U.S. side shared South Korea's concerns over the territorial remarks.
Turning to the People Power Party, which has criticized an early transfer of wartime operational control, Han urged it to "stop this outdated and forced red-baiting." He said the Combined Forces Command will remain in place after the transfer, with a South Korean commander and a U.S. deputy commander leading combined defense.
Han also criticized the People Power Party ahead of the wrap-up session of the National Assembly's annual audit of government agencies, saying the session "must not become a rerun of hatred, disparagement, abusive language and partisan strife." He said the party would "connect the problems exposed during the audit to institutional improvements and budget review, and turn them into change that the public can feel."