On May 15, General Xavier T. Brunson, Commander of United States Forces Korea (USFK), who also has served as Commander of the United Nations Command, the ‘ROK’-US Combined Forces Command, said, “American troops stationed on the Korean Peninsula serve purposes beyond deterring DPRK, to counter threats from China and Russia.
Speaking at the Land Forces Pacific (LANPAC) Symposium hosted by the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) in Hawaii, General Brunson explained that U.S. troops stationed in the ‘ROK’ play a vital role in overcoming DPRK. He emphasized that they are part of a broader Indo-Pacific strategy, focusing on regional operations, activities, and investments.
And he went on to underscore the importance of USFK. He pointed out the ‘ROK’’s strategic location, calling it “the closest allied presence to Beijing,” and likened it to “an island or a fixed aircraft carrier floating in the water between Japan and mainland China.”
The commander also noted that the U.S. forces’ presence in the ‘ROK’ “imposes costs” and “changes the calculations of the leaders of DPRK, Russia and China.”
He added that USFK provide senior American leadership with strategic options in the event of any conflict.
He also emphasized the importance of making trilateral military cooperation between the ‘ROK’, the U.S. and Japan a regular practice, urging the removal of any obstacles that may hinder this collaboration.
He furthered noted the value of involving as many partners as possible in training exercises on the Korean Peninsula. “The question I always ask myself is if my family is on the peninsula, I want every partner we can bring to come and train. And we have to remove the barriers.”
