Arya News - Combined U.S.-South Korea military exercises are essential to defending the Korean Peninsula, U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. Xavier Brunson said Friday.
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Combined U.S.-South Korea military exercises are essential to defending the Korean Peninsula, U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. Xavier Brunson said Friday, amid recent suggestions from Seoul officials that the drills could be scaled back to help revive dialogue with Pyongyang.
"The way that we exercise is critically important to us going forward," Brunson said during a Zoom webinar hosted by the Korean Defense Veterans Association and the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation. "Peace is maintained by our ability to maintain our readiness, and so we"ve got to ensure that our exercises remain the cornerstone of all the readiness that we can achieve on the Peninsula."
His remarks come after South Korea"s Unification Ministry and President Lee Jae Myung signaled flexibility on downsizing or adjusting the drills as potential leverage in restarting negotiations with North Korea, a shift reflecting the administration"s efforts to reopen communication channels
The USFK commander did not directly comment on the proposals but stressed the importance of the two major combined exercises held each spring and summer. The allies have previously scaled back large-scale field drills during periods of diplomacy, including in 2018-19 when Washington and Pyongyang were engaged in summit talks.
"Whenever someone -- I don"t care who it is -- talks about exercising less or exercising differently, they need to understand that there are two times in a year where we absolutely need some support," Brunson said. "Sometimes we forget that our ability to engage in rigorous, realistic training is a thing that separates this alliance from any other that exists."
Brunson also warned of the expanding threat posed by North Korea as it deepens military cooperation with Russia.
"Russian-DPRK collaboration is real -- it is not a quid pro quo relationship," Brunson said, using the official acronym for North Korea. "There are things we know are happening right now that give me pause as I look at what might face us down the road, whether that be training, or techniques and procedures they"re learning from the front."
Pyongyang has provided significant support for Moscow"s war effort in Ukraine, sending thousands of shipping containers of munitions and deploying 15,000 troops to help Russian forces in the Kursk region, according to Seoul"s National Intelligence Service.
In exchange, experts assess that Russia is transferring advanced military technology to Pyongyang, including assistance with space launch vehicles, reconnaissance satellites and air defense systems.
Brunson added that the allies must prepare for an evolving threat environment by accelerating modernization efforts across multiple domains, including cyber and space.
"We"ve got to change the way that we"re organized for the fights," he said. "There are insidious things being done on and off the Peninsula that impact the Republic of Korea. So we"ve got to change the way that we"re organized."