US Eighth Army chief in Korea says troops must be ready for missions beyond peninsula

Joseph Hilbert, commander of the Eighth Army of US Forces Korea, said in an email interview with the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on 21 October that it is irresponsible for US forces in Korea to focus "myopically" only on threats on the Korean Peninsula. He also called it irresponsible to claim that forces cannot carry out other missions simply because they are stationed in Korea, and said his troops must be ready to be sent outside the peninsula if ordered. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]

Hilbert said the Eighth Army is focused on carrying out the US defense commitment under the South Korea-US Mutual Defense Treaty, but that being stationed in Korea does not limit the missions it can perform. He described the Eighth Army as part of a "global army" trained to be deployed where national command authorities need it, and said a trained and ready unit that can carry out missions assigned by the Army can be committed to any required threat. He added that the unit trains daily with South Korean allied forces for major threats while staying ready to respond to any situation the nation requires. Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo, relaying SCMP, said he cited the Eighth Army's participation in multinational exercises in the Asia-Pacific as one example of activity beyond the peninsula. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]

The Eighth Army is headquartered at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek and commands the US ground forces in Korea. SCMP described it, according to Seoul Economic Daily, Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo, as the only US unit stationed on the Asian continent in the Asia-Pacific and the only permanently forward-deployed US field army. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]

Several outlets placed the remarks in the context of Trump administration policy. US Forces Korea has traditionally focused on deterring North Korea, but the administration has signalled it could widen that role to other regional conflicts. The National Defense Strategy released in January says South Korea can take primary responsibility for deterring North Korea with limited US support, and sets out a strong denial defense along the first island chain running from Japan through Taiwan to the Philippines. Yonhap said the remarks could be seen as hinting at use of the Eighth Army in a Taiwan Strait contingency, and Seoul Economic Daily said they suggested mobilizing US forces in Korea in a Taiwan contingency. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]

Rami Kim, the IISS chair for Korea, said the relationship is shifting from a "one-way" US responsibility for defending South Korea to a "more reciprocal partnership", and that South Korea will take greater responsibility for its own defense. He said South Korea is likely to provide logistics support to US forces in a regional emergency, and that its defense industrial base could help replenish US weapons stocks and sustain US operations in a prolonged conflict. Troy Stangarone, a senior fellow at the US-based Korea Economic Institute, said South Korea plays an "important role" as a logistics hub and is the only US ally in the region with a defense industrial base to support US forces in a contingency, according to Yonhap and Seoul Economic Daily. Yonhap and Seoul Economic Daily also noted that US Forces Korea commander Xavier Brunson spoke on 12 October in Washington about a regional sustainment hub concept. [ 1 , 2 , 5 , 7 ]