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Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, the symbol of the two countries' joint defense, marks its 30th anniversary on Friday. The command will be disbanded in 2012, when wartime operational control of the Korean troops is officially handed over to Korea.
The CFC was founded on Nov. 7, 1978 to deal with the rapidly changing situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula and enhance combined operational capabilities. After U.S. president Jimmy Carter declared withdrawal of the Second U.S. Infantry Division in 1977, Korea and the U.S. agreed to efficiently combine operational command of the Korean and U.S. militaries and enhance Korea's defense capabilities in view of the projected withdrawal of U.S. ground troops from Korea.
A U.S. four-star general who is concurrently commander of the U.S. Forces Korea and UN Command has led the CFC, with a Korean four-star general as his deputy. Major staff posts are filled by an equal number of Korean and U.S. officers.
During the Korean War, operational control was handed over to the UNC commander. It was then transferred to the CFC. In 1994, operational control of Korean forces in peacetime was handed over to the Korean side.
In February last year, defense minister Kim Jang-soo and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates agreed to transfer wartime operational control of the Korean military as well and, inevitably, disband the CFC on April 17, 2012.
If that happens, the CFC's duties will be distributed to the Korean Joint Military Command, US KORCOM, and the Alliance Military Cooperation Center (AMCC) which will play a role as a channel of cooperation and liaison between the KJMC and the KORCOM. The KJMC will take care of operations control with the support of KORCOM.
A Defense Ministry official said, "The CFC will still function in tandem with the KJMC and KORCOM, which will be established in 2009-2010. But it will cease to exist in 2012.Ħħ
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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