The United Nations Command, made up mostly of U.S. troops and a significantly fewer number of soldiers from members of the UN, was primarily responsible for South Korea’s national security during and for sometime after the Korea War. In 1978, UN Command responsibilities were transferred to the newly established U.S.-Korea Combined Forces Command (CFC). A four-star U.S. general commanded the CFC in both peacetime and armed conflict until 1994 when peacetime operational control was given to the ROK’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
This report examines the command relationships between the United Nations Command and the Combined Forces Command. It discusses sources of national level guidance and direction, channels of communications, mission, functions, organization, and CFC’s Command relationships with other major commands.
“The mission of the CFC is very simple: it is to deter acts of external aggression against the Republic of Korea and, if deterrence fails, to defeat an armed attack.” (p 4)
This report was released to the Nautilus Institute under the US Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).