Abstract: This study aims to develop a strategy for building a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula and to explore a desirable future of the United Nations Command (UNC) in the event that the Korean Peninsula peace treaty is signed. The study draws lessons learned from the inter–Korean dialogues and proposes a peace regime initiative consisting of North Korea denuclearization, transition of wartime operational control, a security regime in Northeast Asia and a peace treaty. There is a controversial debate regarding the dissolution or continuing presence of the UNC after a peace treaty. This article proposes the twenty nations involved to reorganize the UNC to consist of the UN Security Council P+5, the two Koreas, and thirteen nations as member states of the UNC in order to play a supervisory role in a peace treaty through the transformation of the Demilitarized Zone to a peace zone. The article makes a policy recommendation related to the UNC Reorganization Roadmap. The first phase is to consult with the United States on the future of the UNC after a peace treaty in the event of substantial progress of North Korea’s denuclearization. In addition, the ROK–U.S. should discuss and agree to the command relations between the future Combined Forces Command and the UNC in terms of armistice, wartime and contingency plans in the event of the transition of wartime operational control. The second phase is to recuperate the Military Armistice Commission (MAC), Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) and consult with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the reorganization of the UNC for the Korean Peninsula peace treaty. The third phase is to reactivate the reorganized UNC in a supervisory role for a peace treaty. Full text available here.
