Latest news with #XavierBrunson
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
US pressures South Korea to redefine alliance, pivot away from North Korea
The United States has urged South Korea to 'modernise' their bilateral military alliance and ensure a timely response to threats from Pyongyang and beyond the peninsula, in comments seen as pressuring Seoul to shoulder a greater security burden. Advertisement US Forces Korea (USFK) Commander General Xavier Brunson, in his first press conference with local reporters since taking command in December, said modernising the bilateral military alliance was essential to keep it 'ready, relevant and able' to respond to evolving regional threats, such as from China and Russia. 'What's being asked of Korea is to be stronger against the DPRK, that we might have the flexibility as we modernise our alliance so that we could go do other things,' Brunson told journalists on Friday last week, referring to North Korea by the abbreviated form of its official name. He highlighted the 'strategic flexibility' of US troops, citing the rare relocation of a Patriot missile battery from South Korea to the Middle East in April to support operations against Yemen 's Houthi rebels. 'That is strategic flexibility – the ability to be able to place your forces in space and time and need. That is what we seek to always be able to do,' he said. USFK Commander General Xavier Brunson speaks at the LANPAC Symposium and Exposition in Hawaii earlier this year. Brunson wants Seoul's military to 'go do other things' with the US. Photo: US Army
Korea Herald
10-08-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
USFK chief says alliance strength lies in capability, not numbers as troop-cuts talk looms
PYEONGTAEK, Gyeonggi Province — The highest-ranking military officer of United States forces stationed in South Korea emphasized the capability of the South Korea-US military alliance over its size, amid growing speculation that options to scale down US troop presence here may be discussed at the bilateral summit expected later this month. "The conversation ought not be about numbers. It ought to be about capabilities," USFK commander Gen. Xavier Brunson, who also commands the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command and the United Nations Command, said during a press conference with local reporters at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on Friday. "Our posture is built on the capabilities that we have here, the authorities that I have to use those capabilities and then the positioning of those capabilities ... I think about fifth-gen fighters being on the Peninsula." The remarks came as President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump are set to meet for their first summit in Washington later this month. According to local reports, the leaders are expected to take up reduction options as part of broader "alliance modernization" talks, including how USFK is configured and what missions it is postured to perform within the framework of "strategic flexibility." A high-ranking Seoul official has also said, "the role and nature of USFK can change for various reasons," a remark widely read here as confirming that a possible recalibration of the US footprint will be on the table. Brunson also echoed the need to recalibrate, saying "context is key" when asked what should anchor such modernization. He noted the alliance now operates in a Northeast Asia country markedly different from when the two nations signed the Mutual Defense Treaty on Oct. 1, 1953, citing a nuclear-armed North Korea, deeper Russia-North Korea cooperation, and China's expanding military activities in the Indo-Pacific region. The discussion of troop numbers has been a longer arc under the strategic flexibility framework, which first surfaced in the early 2000s. At the time, Washington pushed to shift from anchoring overseas deployments to dynamically employing them across regions — a concept widely seen as taking shape after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks — while Seoul worried about being pulled into conflicts it had not chosen, and possible deterrence gaps at home. In 2006, under then-President Roh Moo-hyun's liberal administration, Seoul and Washington agreed on language recognizing the US need to maintain flexibility for forces in Korea while affirming that South Korea would not be drawn into a Northeast Asia contingency "against the will of the Korean people." Signs of realignment have been visible on the ground. Since July 2024, the US Air Force has moved F-16 fighters, along with more than 1,000 personnel, from Gunsan in North Jeolla Province to Osan in Gyeonggi Province as part of an internal reorganization, with completion targeted for October. According to a policy brief released on July 22 by the Sejong Institute, the US Air Force is consolidating F-16s at Osan — building out two larger squadrons — while posturing Gunsan to receive F-35A units on a fixed or rotational basis. This configuration, the brief says, is meant to raise efficiency and resilience and broaden flexibility. Earlier this spring, Patriot air-defense batteries under USFK were also reportedly redeployed off the peninsula to the Middle East regions under a bilateral arrangement. Brunson confirmed the shift and said the interim gap "has been covered" by fifth-generation fighters operating in Korea in recent months, and added the Patriot units "are coming back" with upgraded equipment and a new-equipment team to assist the transition. Meanwhile, think tanks here link Washington's push to China-focused deterrence. In the same brief, the Sejong Institute writes that "the Trump administration's posture puts countering China at the very top of priorities, and the issues of USFK adjustments and strategic flexibility are reemerging as a structural reality tied to that agenda." In a report released in July, Professor Choi Woo-seon, director-general of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said Washington is building a "dispersed, flexible posture focused on China," with Seoul expected to take a "larger share" of conventional deterrence against North Korea. Currently, about 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea, and Seoul contributes roughly 1.5 trillion won (about $1.08 billion) annually under the cost-sharing pact between the allies — another point expected to surface at the summit. Trump has demanded higher burden-sharing from allies. Apart from the reduction discussion, the allies are set to run the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise from Aug. 18 to 28. Some outdoor drills have been adjusted amid extreme heat and flood response, but core command-post training remains on schedule. Brunson said he was comfortable with rescheduling, citing "the hottest July on record," noting possible evacuations for heat-affected troops and soldiers assisting residents after floods. "If the Korean people have need of the military, then we can get around that by changing our exercise a bit ... We will still exercise fully," he said.
Hans India
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
UN Command chief says its establishment 75 years ago laid foundation of South Korea's development
The chief of the US-led multinational UN Command (UNC) on Tuesday said that the sacrifice of UN troops during the 1950-53 Korean War helped lay the foundation of South Korea's development, as it marked the 75th anniversary of its establishment. The commemoration ceremony took place at Barker Field in Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, some 60 kilometres south of Seoul, attended by guests including South Korean veterans who served in the Korean War. The ceremony, presided over by UNC Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Derek Macaulay, also featured a march of the flags of the original sending states that contributed to the three-year conflict and a gun salute. Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of the UNC who also serves as the chief of the US Forces Korea and the Combined Forces, noted how the establishment of the UNC laid the foundation for South Korea's development, reported Yonhap news agency. "Seventy-five years ago, 22 nations demonstrated unprecedented international solidarity, giving their blood and treasure to secure freedom for millions and lay the foundation for the Republic of Korea's remarkable transformation into a vibrant democracy and economic powerhouse," Brunson said in congratulatory remarks. The UNC was established in 1950 as a multinational command responsible for maintaining peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, as well as facilitating cooperation among allied nations. As part of such efforts, the UNC conducts communication with North Korea on a daily basis through the so-called pink phone, a rare military telephone line. "Over the past 75 years, UNC has evolved from a wartime coalition defending Korean freedom into a US-led multinational force dedicated to preserving peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, in a region facing complex security challenges," Macaulay said. More than 1.9 million service members from UNC member states, including the United States, Britain and Australia, provided combat, medical and logistical support during the Korean War, which technically has never ended as a peace treaty was not signed.
Korea Herald
06-06-2025
- General
- Korea Herald
USFK commander honors Korean War veterans on Memorial Day
\US Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson paid tribute to veterans of the 1950-53 Korean War on Friday as South Korea marked Memorial Day. Brunson made the remark as he attended a Memorial Day ceremony at Seoul National Cemetery. "On this solemn occasion when we celebrate not only Republic of Korea Memorial Day, we're also reminded of the 75th anniversary of the UN Command and all the nations brought to bear that Koreans might live with freedom and prosperity," Brunson, who also serves as the UNC commander, said in a video message. "I'm thankful for all the veterans of the Korean War," he said. "I'm also thankful for all the U.N. member states and the sending states for all that they gave in blood and treasure that we might all live free." The UNC was established under a 1950 UN mandate to support South Korea against North Korean aggression during the three-year Korean War, which technically has never ended as a peace treaty was not signed. A total of 22 countries, including the United States, Britain and Australia, sent troops or medical support to the South during and right after the war. (Yonhap)
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Top US general in Korea talks maps, China, and getting Patriots back
Sitting at a desk in a remote Pentagon office, last Wednesday, Gen. Xavier Brunson has two maps displayed beside him. One hung on the wall shows the entire world, displayed in a wide rectangle. Another, printed on a paper sheet in front of him, depicts Seoul and its distance from other nearby capitals: Tokyo, Taipei, Manila and Beijing, among others. Rather than showing the usual north-to-south view of Asia, from where Brunson sits this one depicts what the region would look like if peering out from China's eastern coast. Brunson has been sharing this second map in his many meetings in Washington, while arguing for the value of his command — overseeing the 28,500 U.S. troops in Korea. Seoul has one of Asia's strongest militaries and sits inside the vital 'first island chain' of countries that arc off China's coast like a parenthesis. 'It begins with looking from an enemy's perspective and then seeing where you are and how you might array your capabilities,' Brunson said. But South Korea also has one of the world's most alarming neighbors. In the last year, North Korea has traded troops and ammunition in exchange for Russian technology — on missiles, satellites, submarines, drones and most alarmingly a rogue nuclear program. Last year, North Korea conducted 47 ballistic missile tests, a number Brunson now expects to go down with Russia's aid. All this makes Brunson's job — or jobs — harder. Alongside U.S. forces on the peninsula, he would also lead South Korean troops in the case of a war, an arrangement known as Combined Forces Command, or CFC. He also helms United Nations Command, the group of 18 countries that have helped keep the peace on the Korean Peninsula since 1950. Brunson sat down with Defense News on May 7 to discuss the 75th anniversary of UN Command, the future of U.S. forces in Korea and the assumptions he's trying to upend with the help of his maps. This interview has been edited for brevity. North Korea has changed its policies — more emphasis on sovereignty, a new view of the southern border. How does UN Command need to change as well? The North Koreans have changed fundamentally. The associations amongst the adversaries — those authoritarian colluders, if you will — in China and Russia and the [Democratic People's Republic of Korea], those relationships have changed and matured. We have to do the same thing. What's really in the offing is that year 76 forward is going to be different for UN Command. The mandate remains, but our composition, our posture even may change in the future. And we've got to be flexible enough to do that. Do you expect big changes to posture or membership, potentially the addition of new member states? I won't mention these nations because those are bilateral things that are going on with the Republic of Korea, but there are nations that want to participate. We just recently got a New Zealand contingent that's come to the peninsula. And if you talk about things that excite me, it's when I talk to those ambassadors and they look at me and they say: 'Hey, we're working to get our soldiers here.' I wanted to ask about one of the other hats that you wear, which is the CFC. Has the timeline for handing over operational control of South Korean forces moved up? I've heard some mention of the urgency of that. My piece is to continue to talk to leadership about where we stand. We're continually trying to assess where we are along the bilaterally agreed upon conditions-based [operational control] transfer. If that decision is made, then my job is to now develop the strategy that lets us keep that policy moving forward. When leadership has made a decision, it's my job to make it work. To be clear, there's no decision that has been made yet, though? None that I know of. There were a few Patriot air defense batteries that were brought away from the peninsula to help with the campaign in the Middle East. Now we've reached a ceasefire in Yemen, do you know when those are coming back? No, I don't know when exactly those capabilities are going to come back. But I do know that the [Indo-Pacific Command] commander has been able to ensure that we had other capabilities for an extended period of time within the Republic Korea. This is not the first time that capabilities have left the peninsula. In rough order, between 50 and 60 times, capabilities have gone to other places to support [military needs] around the globe. My job is to ensure that we're able to meet the strictures of the Mutual Defense Treaty. I can say unequivocally, we can do everything that we're supposed to do. I just want the stuff back because those are my people. The increasing adversary that people in this building are concerned about is China. How are you working with South Korea to reorient around that threat? Nations are going to make decisions that align with their own interests — always. There are economic relationships in the Indo-Pacific. There are security relationships in the Indo-Pacific. What I find is that our ability to see, sense, and understand in and around the peninsula is coming closer in alignment. For example, in the West Sea right now, there are structures being erected by the Chinese. The Koreans see that. There are encroachments in and around the northern limit line by Chinese fishing vessels and Chinese naval vessels that cause concern to the Koreans. They understand that those are threats that may have to be dealt with at some point in time. South Korea has an election in June after the last president was impeached for declaring martial law. Regardless of who wins, do you think the recent work with Japan, South Korea will last? I think it will survive because the threat will continue to metastasize. If there's a thing that our adversaries have learned over time is the power of alliances, the power of proxies. You can look in the Middle East and see a proxy fight that's going on. You can look in our region now, and we've got North Korea sending troops and materiel to Russia to participate in the conflict, not their own. We see China is still a benefactor for North Korea. The new leader in the Republic of Korea from 4 June forward has to take on the fact that his nation sits at the juncture of an alliance of sorts that he's got to counter. How many North Korean troops are now in Russia? I think 10 to 12 [thousand] is where we throw our estimates at. This alignment gives North Korea different options than they've had previously facing sanctions. How do you continue to counter that? It's capability on capability. What can our adversaries do? What do we need to be able to do? That really leads me to a sort of integrated assurance. It's using all the elements of power, of national power to assure our friends, partners and allies of our commitment to the alliance. What we have that's unique in South Korea is we have diplomacy, and we've got the military there, partnered for the past 70 years. We have the means to continue to assure our ally that we are there. That also sounds the bell every day that we're on the peninsula to Russia and China. We're in the neighborhood.
