By Josh Smith
PYEONGTAEK, South Korea (Reuters) -Germany joined the U.S.-led United Nations Command (UNC) in South Korea on Friday, becoming the 18th nation in a group that helps police the heavily fortified border with North Korea and has committed to defend the South in the event of a war.
The move is evidence of Berlin’s strong belief that European security is closely linked to security in the Indo-Pacific region, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told a ceremony at the main U.S. military headquarters in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul.
“I’m convinced that especially in times like these, when the world is shaped by crises and wars, we need to show unity, we need to stand firm against those who want to undermine peace and stability, against those who attack our common order,” he said.
It is the latest move by the United States and its partners to expand alliances and partnerships, including those that span the globe, and try to turn the 74-year-old command into a source of broader regional security.
Current UNC members, among them Australia, Britain, Turkey and the United States, sent troops or contributed medical support during the 1950-53 Korean War.
Established in 1950, the UNC was mandated to restore peace and enforce the armistice while serving as a channel of communication with North Korea.
It is led by the commander of the U.S. military stationed in South Korea and is not affiliated with the United Nations.
“The addition of Germany diversifies the perspectives and resources available to the United Nations Command and enhances our collective expertise and capabilities,” said U.S. Army General Paul LaCamera, commander of the UNC and United States Forces Korea.
Given Germany’s diplomatic relationships and efforts in the Indo-Pacific, there are “many opportunities that we can explore,” he added.
Germany is the first country to join the command since Italy was reinstated in 2013.
South Korea and the United States see the UNC as one of the institutions that matter more today than a few years ago as autocracies around the globe compete with democracies, said Ramon Pacheco Pardo of King’s College in London.
“From this perspective, it makes sense to also include Germany, which arguably is the most relevant and powerful European country today,” said the international relations expert.
Germany wants to play a bigger role in security in Asia and now sees South Korea as one of its top regional partners, he added.
REGIONAL TENSION
China and the Soviet Union backed the North in combat against the U.N. member states led by the United States during the Korean War. China and North Korea are parties to the armistice with the UNC.
Last year North Korea called the UNC “a U.S. tool for confrontation” that had nothing to do with the United Nations and an “illegal war organisation” that must be dissolved.
China has also expressed concern about growing ties between NATO members and Asian nations such as Japan, the Philippines and South Korea.
Last month China’s foreign ministry urged NATO not to “create chaos in the Asia-Pacific after creating turmoil” in Europe.
“There’s no reason to feel provoked by this decision,” Pistorius told reporters when asked about concerns that increased military ties among European countries in the region could exacerbate tension.
“We are just standing with our commitment for the rules-based international order.”
Germany seeks to reopen its embassy in Pyongyang after it was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Pistorius said he did not know if Berlin had communicated with North Korea about the UNC decision ahead of time.
In Seoul, a Germany embassy spokesman said he had nothing to add on talks with the North, while a specific role for German troops on the peninsula has yet to be determined.
Germany’s membership of the UNC brings shared responsibility for protecting the South’s border with North Korea, taking to a more permanent level its commitment to security and stability in the region, Pistorius said.
In a separate meeting with Pistorius, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik said his country and the UNC now have a new partner in maintaining peace and security on the Korean peninsula and jointly responding to the threat from the North.
(Reporting by Josh Smith; Additional reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Ed Davies and Clarence Fernandez)
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