Page 175 - 2018 Defense White Paper

Meeting(MCM), 2) and the Korea–U.S. Integrated

Defense Dialogue(KIDD). 3)
In October 2018, the ROK and the U.S.
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held the 50 SCM and reaff irmed the robust
strength of the Alliance. Since the f irst meeting
in May 1968, the SCM played a pivotal role in
the development of the Alliance. For the last
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The 50 SCM (October 2018)
50 years, SCM provided a venue for effective
consultations where the two countries discuss various alliance issues and propose their vision
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for forward-looking development of the Alliance. The 10 SCM in 1977, in particular, made a
signif icant contribution to the maintenance of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. In
1978, the ROK–U.S. Combined Forces Command(CFC) and the MCM were created as a result
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of the 10 SCM. This led to the establishment of an effective and systematic combined defense
system whereby the SCM, MCM, and CFC realize the directives given by the two countries’

national command authorities.
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At the 50 SCM, the ROK Minister of National Defense and the U.S. Secretary of Defense
decided to strengthen the coordination and cooperation towards the common objective of a
complete denuclearization in a f inal and fully verif ied manner and establishing permanent peace Chapter 5
on the Korean Peninsula. They concurred that the “Agreement on the Implementation of the
Historic Panmunjom Declaration in the Military Domain” should be implemented in a way

that contributes substantively to the easing of tension and the establishment of peace, and they
also decided to maintain a robust ROK–U.S. combined defense posture during the process. The
Minister and the Secretary also reviewed the progress of relevant tasks for the transition of

the wartime operational control (OPCON) and signed four strategic documents 4) including the

2) The highest level of the ROK–U.S. bilateral military consultative body between the Joint Chiefs of Staffs (JCS) of
the two countries
3) First held in 2012, KIDD is an integration of various ROK-U.S. defense consultative bodies for better efficiency
and effectiveness.
4) The four documents are “Alliance guiding principles,” or guiding principles following the
transition of wartime operational control; Conditions-Based OPCON Transition Plan (COTP)
rd
3 Edition; Memorandum for Record (MFR) for Future Combined Forces Command; and The
Terms of Reference for Relationships (TOR-R) between the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff, the
50 th Security Consultative
United Nations Command, and the ROK–U.S. Combined Forces Command. Meeting (SCM)

Section 1 Development of Mutually Reinforcing ROK–U.S. Alliance 173