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Marines aboard a truck patrol on Yeonpyeong Island near the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea, Thursday, after the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command upgraded its surveillance level on North Korea, following the North’s nuclear test and firing of six short-range missiles Monday and Tuesday. / Korea Times Photo by Hong In-ki
United Nations Command Reaffirms Korean Armistice
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
The South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) has upgraded its surveillance level on North Korea, Thursday, following the latter's nuclear test and firing of six short-range missiles Monday and Tuesday, the Ministry of National Defense said.
The CFC, led by a four-star American army general, raised its Watch Condition (WATCHCON) to the level two, which denotes vital indications of a security threat, early in the day, ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae said.
It is the first time in 31 months that the CFC has raised its military-alertness level since October 2006, when Pyongyang conducted its first-ever nuclear test, Won said.
``WATCHCON 2 went into effect as of 7:15 a.m.,'' the spokesman said. ``Once the level is raised, the number of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets will be increased for a tighter watch on suspected moves in North Korea.''
The South Korean military's Defense Condition (DEFCON) level, however, has been kept at level four, its usual level, he said.
The WATCHCON hierarchy, normally raised by agreement between the South Korean and U.S. militaries, has four stages ― WATCHCON 4 for normal peacetime posture, 3 for important indications of a security threat, 2 for vital indications of a security threat and 1 for wartime situation. In normal situations, the surveillance level remains at 3.
An official of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the CFC had already increased its operations of U-2 spy aircraft and RF-4 reconnaissance jets near the border with North Korea since the May 25 nuclear test.
``We have not seen any particular sign of imminent provocations by North Korean troops, but have been closely monitoring their moves near the Demilitarized Zone, the Joint Security Area and the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea,'' the official said, asking not to be named.
The surveillance posture will be further strengthened during the upcoming ASEAN-Korea summit on the southern island of Jeju from June 1 to 2, he added.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Command (UNC) reaffirmed the armistice agreement signed at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, in response to North Korea's latest threat of nullifying the truce.
``The armistice has served as the legal basis for the cease-fire in Korea for over 55 years and significantly contributes to stability in the region,'' the UNC said in a statement. ``The armistice remains in force and is binding on all signatories, including North Korea. The U.N. Command will adhere to the terms of the armistice and the mechanisms that support it.''
The commander of USFK and CFC concurrently leads the UNC.
Both Koreas remain technically at war since the Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. The truce was signed by the United States, North Korea and China.
On Wednesday, Pyongyang said it no longer considered itself bound by the terms of the armistice, denouncing South Korea's decision to fully participate in the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative aimed at interdicting ships carrying suspicious cargoes to prevent trafficking of weapons of mass destruction.
``Any hostile act against our peaceful vessels, including search and seizure, will be considered an unpardonable infringement on our sovereignty,'' a spokesman for the North's army told the North's official Korea Central News Agency. ``We will immediately respond with a powerful military strike.''
South Korea responded that it would sternly deal with any provocative acts by the North Korean military. Its military has deployed a high-tech destroyer in waters off the NLL, where two bloody naval battles occurred in 1999 and 2002, and positioned artillery units on islands near the sea border to counter possible artillery attacks from the North.
gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr
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