Tauranga army officer at the sharp end of Korean War legacy
Tauranga’s Captain Steen Hemmingsen joined the New Zealand Army because he wanted a career that would challenge him academically and physically and test his people skills.
17 June, 2026
Recently he’s talked to a North Korean soldier, had dinner with North Korean defectors and has met the Crown Princess of Sweden, the US Secretary of Defence, the FBI director, a Vatican cardinal and US comedian Craig Robinson from TV show The Office.
That was just part of Captain Hemmingsen’s six-month posting to the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea.
Operation Monitor is New Zealand’s commitment since 2001 to the United Nations Command (UNC) and the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC) in Korea.
Under the United Nations banner, 22 nations - including New Zealand - contributed either combat forces or medical units to support South Korea during the Korean War.
UNCMAC was established in 1953 as a condition of an armistice agreement between the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Its mission is to monitor the parties’ adherence to the agreement and maintain military stability between both countries.
On the border, Captain Hemmingsen’s main mission as an assistant joint duty officer was communication with North Korea.
A photo showing part of the Joint Security Area at the Demilitarized Zone. The large, three-story building is Panmungak, North Korea's main facility in the area
Captain Steen Hemmingsen presenting to VIPs at the Joint Security Area, Demilitarized Zone
It’s the highest priority mission, but it’s occasional, he says.
“Our office controls the ‘pink phone’ that is the only overt line of communication to North Korea from United Nations Command.
“I will be involved in the drafting of the message content and language, and oversee the passing and reporting of the message.”
His other priorities were coordinating and controlling access to the Joint Security Area (JSA), and providing briefings and orientation about the JSA to those who need them.
That could involve local unit soldiers, ministers of foreign national governments, ambassadors, distinguished visitors and three-star generals.
“The role has seen me interact with people I would have never imagined being in the same room as.”
Captain Hemmingsen worked in the eyeline of armed North Korean guards, but he was not armed himself - as per the armistice agreement.
“Our best safety measure is routine and normality in activity. Predicable actions create predicable reactions.”
Born and raised in Tauranga, he attended Ōtūmoetai College, before joining the NZ Army in 2017 and studying mechanical engineering.
“I wanted a career with diverse challenges. I was also drawn to national service to be part of a higher purpose. The New Zealand Defence Force’s mission of upholding and defending the New Zealand way of life aligned with those ideals.
“Op Monitor was my preference for deployment due to the mission’s location, history, and wide engagements with other nations militaries.
“It’s been enlightening learning about New Zealand’s previous and ongoing commitments to the ‘forgotten war’ of the Korean war and the ongoing Armistice.”
Read more about New Zealand’s contribution to United Nations’ efforts worldwide.(external link)