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The Mainichi
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Top uniformed officers of S. Korea, US, Japan reaffirm cooperation
SEOUL (Kyodo) -- The top uniformed officers of South Korea, the United States and Japan reaffirmed defense cooperation to address the growing missile threat from North Korea, during their talks in Seoul on Friday. Adm. Kim Myung Soo, chief of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Gen. Dan Caine and Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida, met for the first time since South Korean President Lee Jae Myung took office in early June. Yoshida's trip to South Korea marked the first by a chief of Japan's Joint Staff since 2010, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry. "As the North Korean nuclear and missile threats continue to grow and security challenges persist in the region, it is crucial to maintain the momentum of ROK-U.S.-Japan security cooperation and further develop it," Kim said at the outset of their talks. ROK is an acronym for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name. Caine also stressed trilateral cooperation, noting the United States remains focused on reestablishing deterrence, given what he described as "an unprecedented military buildup" by North Korea and China. Yoshida said the aim of his trip to Seoul was to ensure that trilateral defense cooperation remains resilient "regardless of political changes in each country" so that progress continues steadily. On the same day, the three countries conducted a joint aerial exercise over international waters off South Korea's southern island of Jeju, marking the first deployment of a U.S. B-52H bomber to the Korean Peninsula this year, according to South Korea's Defense Ministry. The exercise, which also involved South Korean KF-16 fighter jets and Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2 fighter jets, aims to enhance deterrence and response capabilities against North Korea's increasingly sophisticated nuclear and missile threats, the ministry said.
Epoch Times
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
The Evolving Role of US Forces in Korea
Commentary The presence of U.S. Forces in Korea (USFK) has long served as a cornerstone of the Republic of Korea–United States (ROK-U.S.) alliance, functioning as both a deterrent against North Korean aggression and a symbol of the U.S. commitment to security on the Korean Peninsula. However, amid intensifying strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific and shifting priorities within Washington, the traditional role of USFK is being redefined. This evolution carries profound implications—not only for the future structure of the alliance, but also for deterrence, regional stability, and South Korea's own defense posture.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
South Korea, US wrap up annual military drills, stage joint river-crossing
YEONCHEON, South Korea (Reuters) - South Korea and the United States wrapped up on Thursday 11 days of annual joint military drills known as Freedom Shield, which included staging a river-crossing exercise close to the heavily militarised border with North Korea. The militaries of the two countries reaffirmed their alliance and strengthened their defensive posture during the drills, U.S. Forces Korea and South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The river-crossing exercise, which was held in Yeoncheon, an area near the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas, involved some 600 troops, as well as 100 armoured vehicles and aircraft, according to South Korea's defence ministry. "This training provided an opportunity for the brigade soldiers to experience the importance of the ROK-U.S. alliance and maximize the interoperability of river-crossing equipment," Major Jung Byung-hyuk of the South Korean army said after the river-crossing exercise. ROK refers to the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name. South Korean and U.S troops had built a 180-metre (196.85 yards) floating bridge in order to allow armoured vehicles to cross a river, according to the ministry. "Regardless of politics, when asked the soldiers in these formations both U.S. and ROK are standing side by side ready to support the U.S.-ROK alliance," Lieutenant Colonel Brent Kinney of the U.S. Army said when asked about the current political situation in South Korea. South Korea has been suffering its worst political crisis in decades after President Yoon Suk Yeol briefly imposed martial law in December. The Constitutional Court is due to rule on whether to uphold his impeachment by parliament in coming days. Pyongyang has long demanded a halt to U.S.-South Korea joint exercises, branding them a prelude to an invasion. North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles earlier this month, hours after condemning the South Korean and U.S. militaries for launching the drills that the North called a "dangerous provocative act."
Reuters
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
South Korea, US wrap up annual military drills, stage joint river-crossing
YEONCHEON, South Korea, March 20 (Reuters) - South Korea and the United States wrapped up on Thursday 11 days of annual joint military drills known as Freedom Shield, which included staging a river-crossing exercise close to the heavily militarised border with North Korea. The militaries of the two countries reaffirmed their alliance and strengthened their defensive posture during the drills, U.S. Forces Korea and South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The river-crossing exercise, which was held in Yeoncheon, an area near the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas, involved some 600 troops, as well as 100 armoured vehicles and aircraft, according to South Korea's defence ministry. "This training provided an opportunity for the brigade soldiers to experience the importance of the ROK-U.S. alliance and maximize the interoperability of river-crossing equipment," Major Jung Byung-hyuk of the South Korean army said after the river-crossing exercise. ROK refers to the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name. South Korean and U.S troops had built a 180-metre (196.85 yards) floating bridge in order to allow armoured vehicles to cross a river, according to the ministry. "Regardless of politics, when asked the soldiers in these formations both U.S. and ROK are standing side by side ready to support the U.S.-ROK alliance," Lieutenant Colonel Brent Kinney of the U.S. Army said when asked about the current political situation in South Korea. South Korea has been suffering its worst political crisis in decades after President Yoon Suk Yeol briefly imposed martial law in December. The Constitutional Court is due to rule on whether to uphold his impeachment by parliament in coming days. Pyongyang has long demanded a halt to U.S.-South Korea joint exercises, branding them a prelude to an invasion. North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles earlier this month, hours after condemning the South Korean and U.S. militaries for launching the drills that the North called a "dangerous provocative act."
