Neutral monitoring commission in Korea

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NNSC flag

The Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission for the ceasefire in Korea NNSC ( English : Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission NNSC ) shows through its presence on the intra-Korean demarcation line that the ceasefire agreement is still valid and to respect.

activities

Uniform badge worn by NNSC delegates from Sweden and Switzerland

The NNSC was established by the ceasefire agreement concluded in Panmunjeom on July 27, 1953 between the United Nations Command and North Korea . The NNSC consists of representatives of “ neutral nations ” from both sides. Neutral nations are defined as those nations whose combat troops did not participate in the hostilities in Korea. The neutral states mentioned in the ceasefire agreement are Sweden and Switzerland for South Korea , Poland and Czechoslovakia for North Korea. Their soldiers were stationed on the appropriate side of the border. After the fall of the Iron Curtain , the Poles and Czechs were withdrawn in 1993 at the instigation of North Korea. To this day, five Swiss and five Swedish soldiers each are stationed in Panmunjeom for the NNSC . Poland occasionally takes part in meetings that are now also taking place in South Korea.

The NNSC supports the implementation of the ceasefire agreement with monitoring, observation, inspections and investigations. In particular, it ensures that no further foreign troops and military equipment are imported into Korea. The piece-by-piece replacement of damaged or worn devices is permitted.

The NNSC was initially supported by twenty inspection teams from the neutral nations, ten permanently in ports in North and South Korea and ten mobile teams. The armistice agreement did not specify the nature of the operation of the teams. The Swiss and Swedish teams were small and relied on their hosts to provide support personnel, vehicles and communications equipment for reporting to the MAC Armistice Commission . The Czech and Polish teams were much larger and completely self-sufficient, including heavy radio trucks, interpreters, cooks, and measuring equipment.

The NNSC reports to the Armistice Commission MAC (from English Military Armistice Commission ) . The MAC Armistice Commission is part of the Mechanism to regulate relations between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea). It is responsible for the implementation of the ceasefire agreements and manages the demilitarized zone .

history

1953-1957

The first meeting of the NNSC took place on August 1, 1953.

In 1954 there was hostility to the inspections of the NNSC by the South Koreans and doubts from the Armistice Commission MAC , Switzerland and Sweden about the balanced application of the inspections. UNC stands for the United Nations Command , the multinational military headquarters of the United Nations in Korea. On July 31, after warnings from the South Korean military that action would take place if the NNSC did not withdraw from South Korea, protesters attempted to enter the NNSC camp near Incheon but were stopped by US guards. Following discussions within the NNSC and with the approval of the MAC Armistice Commission , the strengths of the inspection teams were reduced by around half.

In March 1955, the South Korean Assembly unanimously passed a resolution that NNSC inspection teams should be expelled from South Korea. In May 1955, the US decided to inform the NNSC that its operations would severely disadvantage UNC forces and that "the UNC would in future regard Article 13 (d) of the Armistice Agreement as ineffective". In August 1955, South Korean President Rhee Syng-man demanded that NNSC members leave South Korea. Around 1,200 railroad workers and 300 South Korean war veterans attempted to storm the NMSC compound on Wolmi-do Island, but were held back with tear gas by several hundred US soldiers. Demonstrations against NNSC inspection teams continued in September and October.

On May 31, 1956, the NNC recommended the withdrawal of the NNSC inspection teams from South Korean ports because they believed that North Korea was arming itself by bypassing the NNSC inspections. North Korea appealed to the MAC Armistice Commission . This had no effect, however, as the UNC insisted on the breach of contract and expelled the NNSC inspection teams in South Korea on June 9, 1956. As a result, NNSC inspection teams in North Korea were also withdrawn. From that point on, NNSC activities were limited to gathering information offered by both sides and staffing levels were reduced.

At the meeting of the MAC Armistice Commission on June 21, 1957, the United States informed the North Korean representatives that the UNC was no longer bound by Section 13 (d) of the Armistice, which provided for the introduction of new weapons into Korea and their enforcement, the primary mission of the NNSC was. In January 1958, the United States relocated nuclear weapons-capable short-range missiles of the type MGR-1 'Honest John' and 280 mm howitzers M65 'Atomic Annie' to South Korea. A year later, nuclear-armed MGM1 Matador cruise missiles were added, which could also reach China and the Soviet Union .

1958-1995

Map of the Joint Security Area (JSA) with NNSC buildings and the location of CP # 5, the entrance to the Swedish and Swiss NNSC warehouse

After the withdrawal of the NNSC inspection teams, the NNSC for North Korea only existed on paper.

A 1970 report by the US Arms Control and Disarmament Agency concluded: "Since the NNSC was founded only to monitor the enforcement of 13 (c) and 13 (d), it no longer has a function." NNSC described this situation as:

The Americans and South Koreans, no longer hampered by the presence of the Czechoslovaks and Poles and able to speed up the modernization of their weapons, were now showing less rush to dispose of a corpse they no longer cared for, even in curbing propaganda by North Koreans and could be useful to the Chinese. The NNSC thus remains a facade that is only maintained because of fears about the void that would arise if it were abolished.

Entrance to the NNSC camp 1976

From June 1956 to 1993 the NNSC ceased its controls. However, it continued to forward the warring parties' reports on the entry and exit of military personnel to the MAC Armistice Commission . The strength of the delegations from Poland, Czechoslovakia, Sweden and Switzerland was gradually reduced: on June 9, 1956 to 14 members each, in 1960 to nine members each and in 1978 to six members each. Panmunjeom's offices and the conference room for the NNSC are located in the Joint Security Area (JSA) .

The camps for the Swedish and Swiss members and their employees are located in the southern half of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) next to the JSA. The former Polish and Czech camps, which were located on the North Korean side of the military demarcation line nearby, were taken over by the Koranic People's Army (KVA) and are now used for other purposes.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union , which led to the accession of Czechoslovakia and Poland to NATO , and the dissolution of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993, North Korea believed the NNSC had lost its neutrality and took the view that the NNSC had collapsed . North Korea ended the participation of the Czechs in 1993 and that of the Poles in 1995.

North Korea has not recognized the existence of the NNSC since 1995. The Swedish and Swiss delegations continue to provide reports of South Korean troop movements into North Korea, but the latter is ignoring. Poland continues to attend NNSC meetings, although it can no longer carry out its tasks, such as monitoring troop movements.

After 2008

Since 2008, the main task of the NNSC has been to cultivate and build relationships with both sides and to maintain a channel of communication between them. Five Swiss and five Swedish representatives are stationed near Panmunjeom for the NNSC. At the moment, their main role is to show their presence on the inter-Korean border, showing that the ceasefire is still in place. Occasionally, Polish delegates attend the Panmunjeom meetings, but through South Korea, as Poland has switched sides politically. The promotion of relaxation and safety in the common safety area (JSA) also falls within the scope of these activities and is the prerequisite for the fulfillment of these tasks.

The Swedish delegation describes its current role as maintaining the ceasefire mechanism. She describes that she is in constant contact with the UNC, but not with North Korea.

The NNSC continues to monitor force levels in South Korea and oversee the annual U.S. and South Korean military exercises. When North Koreans enter South Korea, NNSC members can question them to determine whether they want to be repatriated or emigrate to the south. Occasionally, the NNSC takes part in investigations by the United Nations Military Armistice Commission (UNC), such as South Korea's involvement in naval skirmishes.

Poland sends representatives to Commission meetings twice a year, which the NNSC believes legitimize their position as 75% of the original delegations are still represented.

In 2014, the practice of leaving the doors of the NNSC conference building open in the direction of North Korean territory was terminated, as North Korea had interpreted this as an “aggressive gesture”.

The annual cost of the NNSC is approximately $ 4 million. The maintenance and repair of NNSC camp facilities is the responsibility of the U.S. Army's Public Works Directorate (DPW) for Area I, which is located at Camp Red Cloud base .

History of the delegations of the neutral nations

Swiss NNSC delegate
year number
1953 96
1956 14th
1960 9
1978 6th
1994 5

Switzerland

The Swiss NNSC delegate, Major General Jean-Jacques Joss, with USFK Commander, General James D. Thurman, at the 58th anniversary of the ceasefire agreement

On August 1, 1953, the first - 96-strong - Swiss NNSC delegation arrived. According to a report by the Stars and Stripes , it expanded to around 150 people within a few months to support surveillance. After the inspection team was dissolved, the delegation was reduced to 14 members. In the years that followed, the delegation was gradually reduced to its current size of five. The head of the delegation, who has been selected by the Department of Defense or the Department of Foreign Affairs , is currently on duty for three to five years. Four reserve military officers assist in one to two-year deployments.

A soldier from the Swiss NNSC delegation plays the leading role in the 2000 thriller Joint Security Area by South Korean Park Chan-wook .

Czechoslovakia

A Czechoslovak group of more than 300 people arrived in Panmunjeom, partly by train and partly by plane, in late July and early August 1953. In the first four years of the NNSC, 500 to 600 Czechoslovaks participated . The history of the first Czechoslovakian contingent is dealt with in the book The Korean Peninsula after the Armistice as Seen by Czechoslovak Delegates to the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission . The book has over 250 photographs of members of the Czechoslovak contingent between 1953 and 1956 and four texts on the early history of the NNSC, written by Seungju Hong, Jaroslav Olša Jr., Gabriel Jonsson and Alex Švamberk. Examples of photographs have been published elsewhere in the Korean and Czech press, such as the Korea Times . The introductory text on the history of Czechoslovak-North Korean relations and the beginning of the NNSC is available online.

Later the Czechoslovak contingent was significantly reduced. After the peaceful split in Czechoslovakia, the new republics of the Czech Republic and Slovakia agreed that the Czech Republic would become a member of the NNSC. In April 1993, the Czech members had to leave their Panmunjeom camp under threats from the North Koreans. Since then, the Czechs have stopped taking part in the NNSC meetings.

To mark the 60th anniversary of the signing of the armistice, the Embassy of the Czech Republic organized a series of events commemorating Czechoslovakia's participation in the NNSC.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Background information on the NNSC (PDF) , Swiss Army
  2. ^ Korean War Armistice Agreement: July 27, 1953. In: FindLaw. Thomson Reuters, March 5, 2014, accessed August 10, 2018 .
  3. ↑ Armistice Agreement (s) Article 1 Paragraphs 4–9
  4. ^ Peacebuilding missions abroad: NNSC (Korea) factsheet of the Swiss Confederation
  5. ↑ In the middle of the Korean conflict - five Swiss in no man's land . In: SRF (ed.): Swiss radio and television . April 24, 2018 ( srf.ch [accessed August 10, 2018]).
  6. ↑ Armistice Agreement (s) Article 2 Paragraph 13 (c – d)
  7. ^ A b Post-Armistice Korean Service Review. Department of Defense (Australia), December 2005, pp. 5–16, 5–49, 5–52, 5–54, A8-3 , accessed August 12, 2018 (English, OCLC 225567362 ).
  8. ^ UNC - United Nations Command. UN Command of United Nations Forces in Korea. In: Dodis - Organization - Information. Retrieved August 11, 2018 .
  9. ^ Soo Hwang: The United States - Republic of Korea security relationship, 1953-1960: great power and small state. In: University College London. 1999, p. 152 , accessed April 7, 2017 (English).
  10. ^ Post-Armistice Korean Service Review. Department of Defense (Australia), December 2005, pp. 5–16, 5–49, 5–52, 5–54, A8-3 , accessed May 3, 2013 (English, OCLC 225567362 ).
  11. ↑ Park Myung-Lim (interview): Consensus, policy consistency integral for reunification. In: The Korea Herald. July 21, 2013, accessed August 14, 2013 .
  12. ^ A b c The Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission in Korea. US Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, August 1970, accessed May 3, 2013 ( OCLC 50820200 ).
  13. ^ A b c Post-Armistice Korean Service Review. OCLC 225567362 . In: Department of Defense (Australia). December 2005, pp. 5–16, 5–49, 5–52, 5–54, A8-3 , accessed on May 3, 2013 (English).
  14. ↑ Wolmi-do Island. South Korea. In: Google Maps. Retrieved August 11, 2018 .
  15. ↑ KOREA: The End of 13D. TIME Magazine, July 1, 1957, accessed October 12, 2018 .
  16. ^ Statement of US Policy toward Korea. United States Department of State - Office of the Historian, August 9, 1957, accessed April 7, 2012 .
  17. ↑ News in Brief: Atomic Weapons to Korea. In: youtube.com. Universal International Newsreel, February 6, 1958, accessed August 12, 2018 .
  18. ↑ Mark Selden, Alvin Y. So: War and state terrorism: the United States, Japan, and the Asia-Pacific in the long twentieth century . Ed .: Rowman & Littlefield. 1958, ISBN 978-0-7425-2391-3 , pp. 77-80 (English, google.com ).
  19. ↑ Korean Central News Agency (Ed.): 'Detailed Report' Says US 'Ruptured' Denuclearization Process . May 13, 2003 (English, fas.org ).
  20. ↑ Detailed report by the Panmunjom Mission of the Korean People's Army. Permanent Representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the United Nations. In: United Nations Security Council. August 12, 2008, accessed May 3, 2013 .
  21. ↑ a b NNSC (Korea). In: Internet Archive. Swiss Army, 2016, accessed August 12, 2018 .
  22. ↑ a b Jon Rabiroff: Uncollected paperwork a sign of DMZ battle of wills. In: Stars and Stripes. February 3, 2010, accessed August 12, 2018 .
  23. ↑ a b Kim Hyo-Jin: At the DMZ, Swiss and Swedish soldiers keep 'peace' watch. The Korea Times, February 9, 2015, accessed August 12, 2018 .
  24. ^ NNSC in Korea . Swiss Army. Archived from the original on June 4, 2016. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  25. ↑ Background knowledge about the NNSC. In: admin.ch. Swiss Confederation, 2018, accessed on August 12, 2018 .
  26. ↑ Christoph Balsiger: A man and his Korea mission. In: SWI swissinfo.ch. July 26, 2013, accessed August 12, 2018 .
  27. ^ The Korean Peninsula after the Armistice . as Seen by Czechoslovak Delegates to the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission 1953–1956. In: Hong-bin Kang (Ed.): Academic Series . Seoul Museum of History, Seoul 2013, ISBN 978-89-91553-66-8 , p. 291 .
  28. ↑ Images shed light on work of Czechoslovakia. The Korea Times, July 26, 2013, accessed August 12, 2018 .
  29. ↑ Jaroslav Olša, jr., Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Republic of Korea (South Korea): Interaction of Czechoslovakia and Korea from World War II until the End of the Korean War. In: Prelude of Communist Fraternity | www.mzv.cz. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, accessed on August 12, 2018 .