| United Nations Command | |
|---|---|
| 유엔군사령부 | |
 | |
| Active | 24 July 1950 – present (74 years, 4 months) |
| Allegiance |  United Nations |
| Engagements | Korean War (1950–1953) |
| Website | www |
| Commanders | |
| Commander UNC/CFC/USFK | Gen. Paul J. LaCamera (US Army) |
| Deputy Commander | Lt. Gen. Derek A. Macaulay (Canadian Army) |
| Notable commanders | |
| Insignia | |
| Flag |  |
| Part of a series on |
| North Korea and the United Nations |
|---|
  |
United Nations Command (UNC or UN Command)[1] is the multinational military force established to support the Republic of Korea (South Korea) during and after the Korean War. It was the first international unified command in history, and the first attempt at collective security pursuant to the Charter of the United Nations.[1]
The UNC was established on 24 July 1950 following the United Nations Security Council's recognition, on 7 July, of North Korean aggression against South Korea. The motion passed because the Soviet Union, a close ally of North Korea and a member of the UN Security Council, was boycotting the UN at the time over its recognition of the Republic of China (Taiwan) rather than the People's Republic of China.[2] UN member states were called to provide assistance in repelling the North's invasion, with the UNC providing a cohesive command structure under which the disparate forces would operate.[3] During the course of the war, 22 nations contributed military or medical personnel to UN Command;[1] although the United States led the UNC and provided the bulk of its troops and funding, all participants formally fought under the auspices of the UN,[4] with the operation classified as a "UN-led police action".[5]
On 27 July 1953, United Nations Command, the Korean People's Army, and the Chinese People's Volunteers signed the Korean Armistice Agreement, ending open hostilities. The agreement established the Military Armistice Commission (MAC), consisting of representatives of the signatories, to supervise the implementation of the armistice terms, and the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC), composed of nations that did not participate in the conflict, to monitor the armistice's restrictions on the parties' reinforcing or rearming themselves.[Note 1][6] In 1975, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 3390 (XXX), which called upon the parties to the Armistice Agreement to replace it with a peace agreement, and expressed the hope that UNC would be dissolved on 1 January 1976.[7] But the UNC continues to function after that.[8]
Since 1953, UNC's primary duties have been to maintain the armistice and facilitate diplomacy between North and South Korea.[9] Although "MAC" meetings have not occurred since 1994, UN Command representatives routinely engage members of the Korean People's Army in formal and informal meetings. The most recent formal negotiations on the terms of Armistice occurred between October and November 2018. Duty officers from both sides of the Joint Security Area (commonly known as the Truce Village of Panmunjom) conduct daily communications checks and have the ability to engage face-to-face when the situation demands.[10]
- ^ a b c "United Nations Command > History > 1950–1953: Korean War (Active Conflict)". www.unc.mil. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- ^ "United Nations Security Council - History". Encyclopedia Britannica. 29 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ "United Nations Command > History > 1950–1953: Korean War (Active Conflict)". www.unc.mil. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- ^ "United Nations Command > Resources > FAQs". www.unc.mil. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- ^ "The United Nations in Korea | Harry S. Truman". www.trumanlibrary.gov. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- ^ "State Department message to DPRK". Archived from the original on 31 August 2000. Retrieved 29 November 2006.
- ^ "Question of Korea". United Nations Digital Library. 1976. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ Salmon, Andrew (8 May 2019). "In South Korea, a UN Command that isn't". Asia Times. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Let the UN Command Remain a Tool for Korean Peace". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- ^ "Joint Security Area / Panmunjom". Retrieved 9 April 2006.
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