ANDREW SELTH  |

Griffith Asia Institute Adjunct Associate Professor, Dr Andrew Selth recently had the below article republished in the Lowy Interpreter.

In light of recent discussion about Australia’s responsibilities under the Korean Armistice Agreement, we are republishing this post that first appeared on 29 November, 2010.

In 1985, I published a paper entitled “Australia and the Republic of Korea: Still Allies or Just Good Friends”. I had not long returned from a lengthy posting to Seoul and was curious to know whether my former colleagues in the ROK were correct in claiming that, in the event of another Korean war, Australia would be obliged under international law to send armed forces back to the peninsula.

The latest DPRK provocations, and Justin Jones’ timely reminder about Australia’s continuing membership of the United Nations Command (UNC), has prompted me to take another look at that paper. After 25 years it begs for revision, but even so, it reminds me that there are at least four historical issues that are still relevant and would need to be considered by Canberra, should serious hostilities resume in Korea.

Firstly, in 1953 the document signed by the DPRK, China and the UNC (on behalf of its members, including Australia and the ROK), was an armistice agreement only. There has never been a peace treaty concluding the war which, formally at least, continues to this day. Partly as a consequence, the UNC has never been dissolved by the UN Security Council. While it was for many years a legal fig leaf to cover US military assistance to the ROK, the fact remains that the UNC still exists, and not just on paper.

Secondly, Australia is one of the UNC’s few remaining active members. The Australian Defence Attaché in Seoul has been accredited to the UNC and has acted as a member of the Advisory Group which supports the Military Armistice Commission. Members of the ADF posted to Japan are usually accredited to the UNC’s Rear Echelon. As Justin has pointed out, UNC (Rear) is currently commanded by an Australian serviceman, the first time that this position has not been held by a US officer.

Please click here to read the full  “Australia and Korea\’s wars” article in The Interpreter by Griffith Asia Institute Adjunct Associate Professor, Dr Andrew Selth.