S. Korea conveys concerns to US over USFK commander's DMZ remarks

Seoul expressed concerns to Washington over remarks made by U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson that Seoul sees as ignoring South Korea’s territorial sovereignty, a government source said Monday. The concerns over Brunson's remarks on South Korea's territorial border and other issues were recently conveyed to the U.S. side, which, in return, said they understand and share South Korea’s pushback, according to the source. The controversy centered on the comments made by Brunson, who also serves as the commander of the United Nations Command (UNC), at a seminar in Washington on Wednesday (local time), when he said that from the perspective of the UNC, South Korea begins at the southern fence of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). He was discussing the UNC’s responsibilities in the DMZ under the armistice agreement that halted the 1950-53 Korean War. The UNC has authority over access and activities in the DMZ under the armistice, but that responsibility does not determine sovereignty over the land. His wording drew objections because South Korean territory extends north of