한미 양국은 북한의 국지도발에 “즉각적이고 단호하게” 대응하는 공동 국지도발대비계획에 22일 서명했다고 24일 밝혔다. 정승조 합참의장과 제임스 D. 서먼 한미연합사령관이 서명했고, 서명과 동시에 발효됐다.

한미는 이 계획에 북한의 예상되는 도발 유형을 모두 상정, 응징할 수 있는 구체적인 방안을 명시한 것으로 알려졌다. 북한이 MDL과 북방한계선(NLL), 비무장지대(DMZ) 등에서 국지 도발을 감행하면 일차적으로 자위권 차원에서 한국군의 무기로 응징하고 미군의 전력을 지원받도록 명문화했다.

한미는 국지도발대비 계획의 구체적 사안은 언급하지 않았지만, 전문가들은 한국군의 작전을 지원하는 미군 전력에는 주한미군의 항공•포병전력을 비롯한 주일미군, 태평양사령부의 전력까지 포함될 것으로 전망했다.

군의 한 관계자는 “북한이 도발하면 도발 원점과 도발 지원세력, 지휘세력까지 응징한다는 우리 군의 작전지침이 공동 국지도발대비계획에 반영됐다”면서 “북한 도발 양상과 작전 환경에 따라 미군의 무기도 북한 영해와 영토에 타격을 가할 수 있을 것”이라고 말했다.

일부 전문가들은 국지도발대비 계획이 한국군의 자위권 행사를 정당화 한 것이라고 분석했다. 하지만 일각에서는 이 계획이 지나친 자위권 행사를 제한하고 확전을 막는 유엔사 교전규칙과 충돌할 수 있다고 지적했다.

합참의 한 관계자는 “유엔사 교전규칙은 소극적, 적극적 대응 원칙이 모두 포함되어 있다”면서 “적극적 대응에는 자위권 행사를 인정하고 있기 때문에 한미 공동 국지도발대비계획도 유엔사 교전규칙 범주 안에 들어가는 것”이라고 말했다.

(코리아헤럴드 송상호 기자)





<관련 영문 기사>


Korea, U.S. set up plan to counter N.K. provocation

By Song Sang-ho

Seoul and Washington signed a contingency plan to “immediately and decisively” counter North Korean provocations, the allies’ militaries announced Sunday.

Under the plan the South would lead counter-provocation operations with the U.S. providing support, they said. It was signed by Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Jung Seung-jo and Combined Forces Command chief James D. Thurman Friday and took effect immediately.

“It was developed by mutual agreement between the ROK (Republic of Korea) and U.S. JCS chairman after the North Korean artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island (in November 2010),” said the CFC in a press release.

“The completed plan includes procedures for consultation and action to allow for a strong and decisive combined ROK-US response to North Korean provocations and threats.”

The allies did not elaborate on operational specifics, but the plan is thought to stipulate concrete steps for various provocation scenarios that could occur in the Military Demarcation Line and the Northern Limit Line, the de facto inter-Korean sea border, or within the Demilitarized Zone.

Observers said that U.S. military assets including those in Japan and the Pacific Command headquartered in Hawaii might be deployed to support its ally handling any provocation.

Seoul officials expressed satisfaction about the plan, stressing any future provocations would be met with a strong counterattack.

“Our military’s operational guideline, which calls for launching counterstrikes at not only the origin of provocation, but also forces supporting it and its commanders, has been reflected in the plan,” a military official said, declining to be named.

“Depending on the types of provocations and operational environments, U.S. weapons could be mobilized to strike back at North Korea’s territorial waters and soil.”

Last year, the allies agreed to sign the plan in January. But they delayed it despite North Korea’s escalating missile and nuclear threats, prompting speculation that they were at odds over the scope of a counterstrike.

Seoul has repeatedly said it would launch a counterstrike 10 times stronger than any provocation.

But Washington appeared uneasy about Seoul taking too aggressive a stance due to the risk of provocations escalating into a full-blown war, which could drag in both the U.S. and China at a time both powers are struggling with domestic challenges.

Following the announcement of the plan, some experts said the U.S. recognized Seoul’s right to self-defense in forging the new plan, while some expressed concern that the plan could clash with the U.N. Command’s armistice rules of engagement.

The rules of engagement, whose content is classified, is designed to check the excessive exercise of a country’s self-defense right so as to prevent an escalation of an armed clash and casualties resulting from it.

The allies’ counter-provocation plan seems to allow for a greater exercise of self-defense. But Seoul officials claimed the plan would not go beyond the rules of engagement.

“The rules of engagement include both passive and active responses. In the category of active responses, the exercise of the right to self-defense is acknowledged. Having said this, the allies’ joint counter-provocation plan is within the rules of engagement,” an official told media on condition of anonymity.

(sshluck@heraldcorp.com)