Open Letter to the Group of 77 Chairman
29th August 2023
H. E. Ambassador Pedro Luis Pedroso.
Chairman, Group of 77, United Nations Secretariat Building, Room S-0518 New York, N.Y. 10017,
U.S.A.
secretariat@g77.org
Dear Ambassador Pedroso,
The Asia Pacific Regional Committee for Peaceful Reunification of Korea (APRCPRK) requests that the Group of 77 propose a UN General Assembly Resolution recommending the withdrawal of authority for use of the United Nations flag and logo by the United States military unit which calls itself the ‘United Nations Command’ (UNC) in the Republic of Korea (ROK).
The 7 July 1950 Security Council Resolution 84 authorised the United States as leader of a unified command to “use the United Nations flag in the course of operations against North Korea”.
Although the military operations against North Korea ceased in in July 1953, the US military is still using the United Nations flag and logo in Korea 70 years later in 2023. This creates a confusing situation as exemplified by this United States Forces in Korea USFK) press statement:
CFC, USFK and UNC begin Ulchi Freedom Shield
PA-001-22 | Aug. 23, 2022
[United States Army Garrison] Humphreys, Republic of Korea —
Combined Forces Command (CFC), United States Forces Korea (USFK), United Nations Command (UNC), and subordinate component commands under CFC, along with augmentees, civilian personnel and representatives of the United Nations sending states, began the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise Monday, August 22, 2022. [1]
To have the United Nations flag and logo associated with the Ulchi Freedom and other US-led wargames in the Republic of Korea completely misrepresents the United Nations.
These wargame exercises are conducted by the USFK which is headquartered in Camp Humphreys, the largest United States overseas military base in the world. Camp Humphreys is also the US military base closest to Beijing and it is clear that the exercises are aimed not merely at a member of the United Nations General Assembly – the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) – but also at a Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council, China.
The United Nations flag and logo should not be associated with these exercises as it gives a false impression that the United Nations endorses the military manoeuvres of one of the belligerents in the yet to be ended Korean War. This impedes the United Nations potential to act as a peace broker on the Korean Peninsula. It is also clearly inappropriate that the UN be seen as conducting military exercises which are perceived as threatening members of the United Nations itself.
While it can be conjectured that the Security Council erred in authorising use of the United Nations flag by the ‘unified command’, which was not a United Nations entity, it is very clear that use of the United Nations flag by the USA military in the ROK does not conform with the United Nations Flag Code regulation published by the UN Secretariat 20 November 2020. [2]
For these reasons we request that:
(1) Agreement be sought at the G77 Ministerial Meeting scheduled for 22nd September, that the G77 will initiate action seeking to annul the 7 July 1950 Security Council Resolution 84 which authorised the United States as leader of a unified command to “use the United Nations flag in the course of operations against North Korea”.
(2) A clause along these lines be included in the 2023 G77 Ministerial Statement:
The Ministers agreed that the use of the United Nations flag and logo by the United States military command in the Republic of Korea (US Forces in Korea; USFK) is inappropriate. It gives the impression that the United Nations is involved in, and supports, US military exercises on and around the Korean peninsula which are perceived by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as provocative and threatening peace and stability. Moreover, the use of the flag and logo by a USA military unit does not conform with the United Nations Flag Code. Accordingly a Resolution should be introduced in the UN General Assembly recommending that permission to use the UN flag and logo by the USFK, operating under the self-designation of ‘United Nations Command’ (UNC) even though it is not a United Nations entity, should be withdrawn.
(3) The G77 members co-sponsor a proposal to the Plenary of the General Assembly along with a Draft Resolution along these lines:
The General Assembly
Acknowledging that clause 5 of July 5, 1950 United Nations Security Council Resolution 84 authorizes the United Staes as leader of the unified command to use the United Nations flag at its discretion,
Noting that the military entity located in the Republic of Korea which the United States Forces in Korea (USFK) has named the ‘United Nations Command’ is an entity under control of the USFK, and as such is not and never has been, an entity or organ under control of the United Nations,
Recognising that use of the United Nations flag by the so called ‘United Nations Command’ in the Republic of Korea contravenes the UN Secretariat United Nations Flag Code Regulation of 20 November 2020.
(4) Recommends that clause 5 of July 5, 1950 United Nations Security Council Resolution 84 be annulled.
Thanking you in anticipation,
Yours respectfully,
On Behalf of Asia-Pacific Regional Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea:
Co-chairpersons
Mr. Madhav Kumar Nepal,
Former Prime Minister of Nepal, Chairman, Nepal Committee for Promotion of Korea’s Reunification
gamknepal@gmail.com
Dr. Doğu Perinçek,
Chairman, Vatan Party, Turkey
international@vatanpartisi.org.tr
Rashed Khan Menon,
Chairman, Central Committee of Worker’s Party of Bangladesh. arkhan@bangla.net
Mr. Atul Kumar Anjan,
Chairman, All India-Korea Friendship Association
atulanjaan@gmail.com
Mr. Rafael V. Mariano,
President, Philippines-Korea Solidarity and Friendship Society (PKSFS)
kapaeng_mariano@yahoo.com
Mr. Neil Fitzgerald,
National President, Australia-DPRK Friendship and Cultural Society
bequanaland@gmail.com
Secretariat
Director: Mr. Raymond Ferguson,
Secretary General, Australia-DPRK Friendship and Cultural Society
ray.ferguson@tisgroup.com.au
Joint Secretaries
Ms. Marisa Dumanjug,
Secretary General, Philippine-Korea Solidarity and Friendship Society
norbin2008@gmail.com
Mr. Javed Ansari,
President, Pakistan-Korea Friendship and Solidarity Committee,
ansarijaved1@yahoo.com
Mr. Hakki Ergincan,
Chairman, Turkish-Korea Friendship Association,
heergincan@gmail.com
Public Information Bureau
Director: Mr. Teguh Santosa,
Chairman, Indonesia-Korea Friendship and Cultural Exchange,
teguh_timur@yahoo.com
Executive Members
Mr. Phanidra Raj Pant,
Secretary General, Nepal - Korea Friendship Association,
prpanta@yahoo.com
Mr. Peter Wilson,
Secretary, New Zealand – DPRK Society, nzdprksociety@gmail.com
Life Member
Dr. Tim Beal,
Chairman, New Zealand – DPRK Society,
tim@timbeal.net.nz
Note:
Accompanying this letter please also find attached:
(1) Copy of the letter sent by APRCPRK to His Excellency, Mr António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, requesting that the United Nations revoke permission for use of the United Nations flag by the United States of America as leader of the unified command in Korea.
(2) Copy of letter sent by the International Association of Democratic Lawyers to His Excellency, Mr António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, highlighting violation of the UN Flag Code by the so-called “United Nations Command” (“UNC”), which is not a UN entity under control of the United Nations, in South Korea and Japan. 
[1] https://www.usfk.mil/media/press-products/press-releases/article/3136232/cfc-usfk-and-unc-begin-ulchi-freedom-shield/
[2] https://www.un.org/dgacm/sites/www.un.org.dgacm/files/Documents_Protocol/flagcodeun20nov2020stsgb20204.pdf
