Republic of Korea

The NZDF deploys 12 personnel to the United Nations Command in the Republic of Korea (ROK). The United Nations Command is a multinational body established in 1950 to defend the ROK.

The six NZDF personnel deployed to the United Nations Command Headquarters perform roles that support the development of plans, orders and concepts of operations for activities on the Korean Peninsula.  

New Zealand also has six personnel deployed to the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC), which is responsible for facilitating diplomacy between North and South Korea and monitoring the armistice agreement signed at the end of the Korean War.

Further information regarding personnel deployed to the UNCMAC:

• Three of these personnel are based at Camp Humphreys, south of Seoul. One officer leads the Armistice Education programme, while another is responsible for coordinating and planning inspections and other activities in the Demilitarised Zone. A senior non-commissioned officer supports the Demilitarised Zone operations section.

• The other three NZDF officers are based within the Demilitarised Zone on the border of the ROK and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. One is an Assistant Corridor Control Officer primarily responsible for opening the Southern portion of the Demilitarised Zone for daily vehicle movements. The other two facilitate communication between the United Nations Command and the Korean People’s Army and supervises high level visits to the Joint Security Area.

The mandate for this deployment expires in August 2023.