Germany officially became the 18th member of the United Nations Command (UNC) in South Korea. The UNC is a multinational military force that oversees affairs in the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between South and North Korea, which remain technically at war.

The UNC polices the border and has committed to help defend the South in the event of a conflict.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said European security is closely linked to security in the Indo-Pacific and that Germany will help protect South Korea’s border with North Korea as part of the UNC.