Minister cites 8 USFK, UNC soldiers for contribution to peace efforts
SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo on Thursday cited eight soldiers from the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) and U.N. Command (UNC) for contributing to inter-Korean peace efforts.
Among them were Maj. Gen. Michael Minihan, currently the USFK chief of staff and formerly the UNC chief of staff, and Col. Burke Hamilton, the secretary of the UNC Military Armistice Commission.
Seoul's defense ministry said that they have contributed to efforts by the two Koreas to build trust and establish a lasting peace on the peninsula by supporting the enforcement of last year's inter-Korean military agreement aimed at reducing tensions and preventing accidental clashes.
"With active cooperation and support from the UNC, we were able to implement the military agreement," Jeong said. "I hope that this year as well, the defense ministry and the UNC can maintain close cooperation."
The two Koreas' defense ministers signed the agreement during President Moon Jae-in's trip to Pyongyang for his third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in September. It contains a series of confidence-building and arms control measures.
South Korea's Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo (C) poses for a photo with soldiers from the U.S. Forces Korea and U.N. Command after offering his citations to them for their contribution to inter-Korean peace efforts at his ministry in Seoul on Jan. 24, 2019, in this photo provided by his office. (Yonhap)
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