The U.N. Command (UNC) and South Korea’s Defense Ministry have moved to contain political fallout from remarks by the commander of U.S. Forces Korea, after he suggested the South’s territory begins at the southern edge of the border with North Korea.

Gen. Xavier Brunson, who also commands the UNC, reportedly made the remarks on Oct. 14 at a seminar hosted by the Gold Institute for International Strategy in Washington. 

Brunson described fences located about 2 kilometers north and south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), saying he was responsible for managing the area and that the UNC was discussing the