Tag: USFK

Ironically the Japanese historically have thought the same thing that the Korean Peninsula is a dagger pointed towards Japan. This is partly why past Japanese Imperial governments have tried to control the peninsula. Is General Brunson hinting that China will be the next Imperial power that will try and control the Korean Peninsula?:

U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson has said that South Korea is a “dagger in the heart of Asia” if seen from China’s east coast, a remark that apparently underscored the strategic location of the Asian ally amid an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry.

Brunson made the remarks in a recent podcast interview hosted by the U.S. Army War College on Friday, amid lingering speculation that the United States would seek to leverage USFK assets to help deter an increasingly assertive China or address other regional challenges beyond the Korean Peninsula.

“When they (the Chinese) look out from the east coast of China, what they see is there’s Korea, the dagger in the heart of Asia,” he said, according to a transcript posted on the website of the Strategic Studies Institute at the Army War College.

“(Then) there’s Japan again, sort of that shield that’s sort of a backstop, if you will, for them trying and their ambitions beyond that into the South China Sea and then down to their southeast is the Philippines,” he added.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Great job by all the individuals and groups recognized during the recent USFK Good Neighbors awards:

The sponsor of a long-running student exchange program, a U.S. soldier who organizes environmental cleanups and a corporation promoting cultural outreach were among those honored as “good neighbors” by U.S. Forces Korea. The 23rd annual USFK Good Neighbor Award ceremony, held Tuesday at the Morning Calm Center, recognized 33 service members, civilians and organizations for strengthening ties between the United States and South Korea.

The event celebrates community outreach and cultural exchanges that reinforce the alliance at the “human level,” USFK deputy commander, Air Force Lt. Gen. David Iverson, said during keynote remarks. This year’s top Korean individual award went to Chung Sung-mok, a sponsor and co-president of the Korean American Friendship Circle.

Stars and Stripes

You can read more at the link.

Good news for U.S. troops in South Korea:

A new military mail terminal opened Thursday in Busan to improve speed and reliability of mail delivery to U.S. Forces Korea, according to the U.S. Army.  The facility is expected to strengthen “resiliency and efficiency” of military mail operations in South Korea, Col. Kimberly Pringle of U.S. Army Pacific said in a speech during the opening ceremony. “This facility enhances our ability to receive, process and distribute mail with greater speed and reliability,” she said.

Until the Busan facility opened, the joint military mail terminal at Incheon International Airport was the only military mail terminal in South Korea. Busan will process 40% of the total U.S. military mail that enters the country, which is more than 12 million pounds annually, according to an April 20 news release from the 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command. The terminal is expected to shorten by a day the delivery period for priority mail — from the typical 10 days to nine, James Register, Army Pacific chief of postal operations, told Stars and Stripes on Thursday.

Stars and Stripes

You can read more at the link.

The Unification Minister really stepped in it, but he will likely face no consequences since he is a committed leftist. You can say many things about the Korean left, but one thing they do well is stick together so I doubt anything will happen to Chung Dong-young for the leak. This is likely why USFK is taking this action since the Korean government is taking no action to address this issue:

The United States has restricted South Korea’s access to intelligence related to North Korea’s nuclear facilities in protest over the unification minister’s disclosure of the country’s uranium enrichment facility in Kusong, sources said Monday.

The South Korean military has claimed its readiness posture remains unhindered by Washington’s decision, but concerns remain over a potential vacuum in Seoul’s surveillance capabilities against the North.

The U.S. has restricted information sharing with Seoul on the North’s nuclear facilities collected via satellites, including on a facility located in the western city of Kusong.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It is pretty amazing that with everything going on in Korea and the world that the top story currently over at Yonhap’s English page is of a bar fight in Hongdae involving an American Soldier:

An American soldier was booked Sunday for allegedly assaulting a South Korean man at a nightclub in Seoul’s Hongdae district, police said.

The 20-something member of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) was apprehended at the scene after allegedly assaulting the man around 3 a.m. on Saturday, according to the Mapo Police Station.

The altercation reportedly began after the victim bumped shoulders with the soldier’s party and resulted in him sustaining a fractured nose.

The soldier was transferred to the USFK in accordance with the Status of Forces Agreement, which governs the legal status of the 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea.

Police said they will decide on the next steps after determining the details of the incident.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but I can remember the days when incidents like this would lead to massive protests due to lies about the SOFA agreement. Fortunately those days appear to be long gone.

Another Freedom Shield exercise has been completed and has supposedly brought the ROK closer to taking over OPCON:

The United States and South Korea have wrapped up a major joint exercise focused on preparing Seoul to assume wartime operational control of allied forces. The 10-day Freedom Shield exercise, which ended Thursday, emphasized readiness for a potential transition in which South Korea would take the lead in defending the peninsula during a conflict, according to a joint news release from U.S. Forces Korea and South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense.

The training also incorporated lessons from recent conflicts and aimed to improve the allies’ ability to respond quickly and effectively to complex security challenges, the release said. “As we prepare for the [operational control] transfer, this year’s [Freedom Shield] reaffirmed the common value of peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula shared between [South Korea] and the U.S.,” Gen. Jin Yong-sung, chairman of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in the release.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

If missiles and launchers are being moved that would still mean the system in Korea is combat effective; it would just have a smaller inventory. However, if its radar or C2 systems are being moved then it would be combat ineffective:

The United States has been moving parts of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system from South Korea to the Middle East, the Washington Post reported, citing two officials.

The reported movement of parts of a THAAD missile defense system comes amid media reports that the U.S. military stationed in South Korea has shipped out some of its military assets amid an intensifying war in the Middle East. 

“The Pentagon is moving parts of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system from South Korea to the Middle East,” the report said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

This shouldn’t be terribly surprising that the ROK President was against the deployment of USFK assets to assist with the war against Iran:

President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday that a potential relocation of military assets owned by the U.S. military stationed in South Korea will not affect the deterrence posture against North Korea. 

Citing media reports that the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) might have recently shipped out some weapons, including an anti-missile defense system, Lee told a Cabinet meeting, “If you ask if our deterrence strategy against North Korea is severely affected (because of a possible shift of such assets), I can say absolutely not.” 

The remarks by Lee did not explicitly comment on the possible movement or repositioning of USFK’s military assets. 

However, South Korea has expressed its opposition against USFK’s possible shift of its military assets, but it is a “stark reality” that South Korea’s opinions would not be fully accepted, Lee said. 

“Our government expects the USFK to fully contribute to stability and peace on the Korean Peninsula, which I believe it has done so far,” Lee said.

“Depending on how the situation unfolds, however, the USFK may dispatch some air defense systems abroad in accordance with its own military needs. While we have expressed opposition, the reality is that we cannot fully push through our position.”

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It has been suspected USFK would deploy Patriot batteries again to the Middle East and it appears it may be happening:

U.S. military transport aircraft have been spotted arriving at and departing from a U.S. air base in South Korea over the past week, raising speculation that the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) may be deploying some of its assets to the Middle East amid the escalating conflict involving Iran.

According to the real-time flight tracking website Flightradar24, C-5 and C-17 U.S. transport aircraft have landed at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, since late last month and departed between Wednesday and Saturday.

At least two C-5 aircraft arrived at the air base in late February and were spotted departing last Saturday and Monday, while C-17 aircraft departed between Tuesday and Saturday, with six confirmed to be heading to Anchorage, Alaska.

The C-17 aircraft regularly stopped at the key U.S. base to transport U.S. assets and personnel, but the arrival of the C-5 appears to be rare.

The latest move has fueled speculation that the USFK may be preparing to move Patriot missile defense systems, as it is known to have recently relocated some Patriot batteries to Osan Air Base from other U.S. bases.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

The exercise may go on, but there may be some units missing if they get deployed to fight Iran:

U.S. and South Korean forces will proceed with a major joint military exercise next week despite the United States’ involvement in the conflict with Iran, a pair of generals said this week. The 10-day Freedom Shield exercise — one of the two largest drills conducted by the allies each year — is slated to begin Monday. Brig. Gen. Moon Han-ok, a deputy commander of the 2nd Infantry Division, which combines both U.S. and South Korean units, said the training will continue as planned. “Actually, we are strengthening readiness thinking North Korea might show some provocations,” she said Wednesday at the division’s headquarters on Humphreys. “We will conduct the exercise as planned and maintain readiness.” Freedom Shield comes as the U.S. and Israel are engaged in military operations against Iran, which began Saturday. During a joint interview with reporters, Moon and U.S. Army Brig. Gen. W. Bochat said the conflict in the Middle East would not affect the focus of the drills.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.