US Forces Korea chief says allies must train all year, cites talks with Joint Chiefs head

US Forces Korea commander Javier Brunson said on 21 October that he met Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Jin Yeong-seung (진영승) this week to discuss how to train in the upcoming Freedom Shield (FS) exercise, which is scheduled for the first half of next year. He said the talks showed that readiness should not rely only on the two major annual exercises. "We have to train all year round," he said, adding that the allies must keep developing to meet their set goals. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]

Brunson spoke at a special luncheon hosted by AMCHAM at Mondrian Seoul Itaewon in Yongsan. Korea Economic Daily dated the event 20 October; the other outlets gave 21 October. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]

The allies hold Freedom Shield in the first half of the year and Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) in the second half, as exercises assuming full-scale war on the peninsula. Yonhap and Korea Economic Daily reported that August's UFS was held at half of what was planned, following Trump's instruction to scale it down, and that this raised concern about whether FS would be carried out properly. Both read the discussion with Jin as a sign that preparation for FS is under way. Newsis said Brunson made no specific comment on the reduction order. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]

Brunson said North Korea is advancing its ballistic and cruise missile capabilities and deepening defence cooperation with Russia to a dangerous degree. According to Newsis and Kyunghyang Shinmun, he also cited continuing gray-zone activity meant to test allied resolve and regional stability. He said the mission of supporting South Korea and maintaining the alliance was unchanged, and that USFK training on the peninsula would change. Newsis quoted him as saying combined exercises are meant to deter war, not start one. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]

Brunson also said the allies should not wait for slow transport ships crossing the Pacific and that key maintenance capacity should be nearby. He said US Navy ships receiving repairs in Korean shipyards and returning to sea early would add operational deterrence. He called for a relationship in which American innovation and Korean creative capability are more deeply integrated. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]

Brunson did not address the recent controversies over a change in wartime operational control transfer criteria or the DMZ. Newsis reported that on 14 October in Washington he said that, from the UN Command's perspective, South Korea begins at the southern fence line. It added that the ruling camp strongly criticised this as infringing South Korea's territorial sovereignty. Yonhap and Newsis reported that the government conveyed concern to the US side, which reportedly said it was fully aware of it and sympathised. Newsis added that after his 12 October remarks at the Association of the US Army event on dispersed training, interpretations differed. It said the defence ministry and USFK then explained that he meant separate, additional training and not a replacement for the existing exercises. [ 1 , 2 ]

Also at the event, Seoul Economic Daily and Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that US Ambassador Michelle Steel said South Korea is no longer only a country the US protects, and should lead in the Indo-Pacific. Kyunghyang added that she called China the region's biggest threat. Asia Economy reported on 22 October that the allies appear likely to start discussions on moving to standing training. It quoted a military official as saying working-level talks would be held this year if the leaderships agree. [ 3 , 5 , 6 ]