The Ministry of National Defense lays the 'smackdown':

Ministry spokesman Shin Hyun-don said the top U.S. Navy officer’s recent remarks, which hinted at the possibility of unilateral actions in case of an emergency in the North, including the collapse of the communist regime, are ``meaningless’’ as the relevant joint contingency plan, codenamed ``5029-05,’’ has been suspended.

According to the Stars and Stripes, a U.S. military newspaper published in Seoul, Vice Adm. Jonathan Greenert, commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, said the U.S. naval component would ``go in and help restore order in North Korea if there were instability or a regime failure.’’

The 7th fleet, based in Japan’s Yokosuka, is the largest of the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed fleets, covering more than 52 million square meters of the Pacific and Indian oceans.

``Greenert seemed to be talking about the 5029-05, supposing it to be developed into a specific contingency plan,’’ Shin told reporters. ``Since the draft plan was suspended at the request of the Seoul government, it would be impossible for Washington to pursue it in a unilateral manner.’’ The number ``50’’ means a joint military operation pursued by the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), he explained.