Seoul offers no response to US Eighth Army commander remarks on broader USFK role
The Seoul government held off on responding Thursday to remarks by the U.S. Eighth Army commander suggesting that American troops stationed here should be prepared for missions beyond countering North Korean threats. Cheong Wa Dae, the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) did not comment when asked about Lt. Gen. Joseph Hilbert’s email interview with the South China…
The South Korean government refrained from commenting Thursday on remarks by the U.S. Eighth Army commander that American troops stationed in South Korea should be ready for missions beyond countering North Korean threats. Neither Cheong Wa Dae, the Ministry of National Defense, nor the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) provided any response when queried about Lt. Gen. Joseph Hilbert’s interview with the South China Morning Post.
Sources close to the South Korean military suggested that the absence of a public clarification on Hilbert’s comments was due to a desire to avoid explicitly interpreting his remarks, rather than a formal government stance on an expanded role for U.S. Forces Korea (USFK). The sources pointed out that the specifics of whether deployments beyond the Korean Peninsula would necessitate prior coordination between Seoul and Washington remain unresolved.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Hilbert stated that it would be "irresponsible to focus myopically" on threats within the Korean Peninsula and to assume that being stationed in South Korea precludes broader regional responsibilities.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
