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Allies move to limit fallout after Brunson appeared to deny ROK territorial claims to areas under North Korean control
U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson and ROK Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul | Images: Xavier Brunson via X (May 13, 2026), ROK Ministry of National Defense (Oct. 16, 2026), edited by NK News
The U.N. Command (UNC) and South Korea’s Defense Ministry have moved to contain political fallout from remarks by the commander of U.S. Forces Korea, after he suggested the South’s territory begins at the southern edge of the border with North Korea.
Gen. Xavier Brunson, who also commands the UNC, reportedly made the remarks on Oct. 14 at a seminar hosted by the Gold Institute for International Strategy in Washington.
Brunson described fences located about 2 kilometers north and south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), saying he was responsible for managing the area and that the UNC was discussing the
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