With a reclusive and erratic leader at the helm of North Korea, the U.S. Coast Guard is ready to respond to any contingency on the peninsula, its chief said Wednesday, expressing concerns of a possible miscalculation and unintended escalation. 

Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft said his organization has a “significant force package” including vessels and personnel as part of Washington’s broader plan designed to deal with an armed conflict involving the two Koreas.

“When you deal with the leader of North Korea that does not interact with other world leaders and that operates in seclusion, a least provocation could result in overreaction and use of military force. ... It is one area of concern that keeps all of us awake at night,” he said during an interview with The Korea Herald on the sidelines of a seminar on maritime security in Seoul. 

“I can’t elaborate, but I will state that the Coast Guard has a significant force package ― ships, coast guardsmen that are part of this campaign plan that will augment the overall force for a campaign with North Korea.”
As South Korea’s Navy and Coast Guard are seeking to boost joint efforts and interoperability, the commandant suggested that they should begin with a simple task, such as a search-and-rescue mission, and then advance to larger-scale projects.

The move came in the wake of a ferry disaster last year that left more than 300 people dead or missing, prompting an overhaul of the South Korean Coast Guard and its ensuing incorporation into the newly launched Ministry of Public Safety and Security. But the initiative faces an uphill battle amid fierce interservice rivalries, such as over budget allocation, weapons acquisition and law enforcement authority. 

The U.S., for its part, adopted a tri-service strategy under the concept of the “national fleet,” which enables the Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps to carry out joint operations at sea. 

“In search-and-rescue offshore, it could be the first ship that arrives. Maybe it’s a Korean Navy vessel, or maybe it’s the Coast Guard that may require Navy support if it’s, say, a mass rescue event, the ferry sinking, for example,” Zukunft said. 

“So it doesn’t require just one service, but how other services bring their resources to bear. Maybe start with something as fundamental as search and rescue, and build from there.” 

The admiral was visiting Seoul to take part in the North Pacific Coast Guard Forum, a biennial, six-nation gathering aimed at fostering multinational cooperation on maritime security. The other participants are the U.S., China, Japan, Russia and Canada. 

He stressed the significance of international cooperation in devising mass rescue scenarios and better crisis management strategies given the rapid technological development and growing use of social media. 

“Anytime when there’s a loss of life, that service will be portrayed as a failure. But sometimes it’s just not possible to save all lives,” Zukun ft said.
“So we’re looking at building exercises ― it’s just not how do you respond tactically, but how do you respond using social media, how do you reach out to the families of those victims while you’re managing this response to keep all of those other priorities at the forefront of your mind as well.” 

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)