The Disarmament and Peace Institute within the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the dissolution of the UN Command in South Korea, arguing that doing so would advance regional peace on the Korean Peninsula. This viewpoint was reported by KCNA, North Korea’s official news agency.
The timing of the report appeared linked to recent discussions between top security officials from South Korea and member states of the UN Command, the long-standing multinational framework overseeing security on the peninsula.
North Korea described the UN Command as an unlawful military structure created by the United States during the Korean War in the 1950s, alleging its purpose was to stage a stronger offensive posture on the Korean front. The Institute warned that the UN Command, which they claim should have been disbanded decades ago, would issue a confrontational statement that could resemble a new escalation of hostilities, underscoring what it views as its aggressive character.
Earlier, North Korea had already responded to inquiries from UN forces regarding an American officer who had fled into the country, a matter that has repeatedly raised tensions on the peninsula.
On July 24, a U.S. nuclear submarine, the Annapolis, arrived in a South Korean port, an event that North Korea cited as a potential trigger for nuclear considerations. The North Koreans warned that the entry of such a nuclear-capable vessel into regional waters would carry the risk of triggering weapons use, while Seoul’s side indicated that resorting to nuclear weapons would threaten North Korea’s very existence.
North Korea’s defense leadership later asserted that a nuclear conflict on the peninsula could not be avoided, a statement evaluated by observers as a sign of the high stakes involved in current regional security dynamics.
News outlets indicated that a submarine equipped with tactical nuclear capabilities had been deployed, marking a development in the broader strategic posture of the peninsula and prompting careful analysis by regional policymakers and international observers alike.
In mid-September, reports noted that a high-level summit was being planned, with leader Kim Jong-un said to be traveling to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks. The discussions, held at the Vostochny spaceport, were viewed by many as a signal of the evolving security calculus in Northeast Asia, with implications for how North Korea, Russia, and neighboring states calibrate their deterrence and diplomacy.
Earlier statements from North Korea emphasized that the presence of foreign naval forces on the Korean side could become a condition for considering the use of nuclear options, a stance that has historically heightened concerns about miscalculation and escalation in the region.