SEOUL, Oct. 27 (Yonhap) — The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) called on its members Tuesday to get flu vaccination, stressing that its flu vaccine is safe without reports of serious adverse effects.
All U.S. military members are required to receive the seasonal flu vaccine annually, and Commander Gen. Robert Abrams has directed all of the USFK members to get their flu shots by Dec. 1.
“The potential exposure of the COVID-19 virus is something we cannot afford to risk by delaying or avoiding the flu shot. Do your part to protect the force, and get your shot today,” Abrams said according to the USFK statement.
The commander also said the flu vaccine, distributed by the U.S. Department of Defense, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is safe.
“Unlike other global reports regarding various vaccines potentially linked to illness and death, there have been zero reports of serious adverse effects or reactions reported across the DoD medical system associated with this vaccine,” the statement read.
The South Korean government has been implementing a free flu shots program for elderly and young citizens and called for the need to expand the program, as the country has been working hard to stem the spread of the new coronavirus and seasonal influenza.
Concerns, however, have grown over potential side effects of the vaccination after dozens died recently after taking flu shots, though the government has said there is no direct link between those deaths and vaccines.
A nurse shows a flu vaccine at a clinic in Seoul on Sept. 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 27 (Yonhap) — A U.S. spy plane flew near the Korean Peninsula early Tuesday, an aviation tracker said, in what appeared to be an effort to monitor North Korea just days ahead of the U.S. presidential election.
The U.S. Air Force’s E-8C Joint Stars was spotted in skies above the Yellow Sea from late Monday to early Tuesday, No callsign tweeted.
The same type of the aircraft was also seen carrying out operations Saturday night above the western waters.
The flights came amid speculation the North could test its new strategic weapons near the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election with the two countries’ nuclear negotiations remaining deadlocked since last year.
On Oct. 10, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed to continue strengthening the country’s self-defense “war deterrent” and showed off a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and other weapons during a massive military parade in Pyongyang.
This image captured from the U.S. Air Force’s website shows a USAF E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) aircraft. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 26 (Yonhap) — The United States did not commit to maintaining its troop level in South Korea in a recent joint statement between their defense ministers because it is adjusting its overseas troop presence in a flexible manner, the defense ministry said Monday.
The two countries issued a joint communique after annual talks between Defense Minister Suh Wook and U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper earlier this month, but the statement did not include a usual U.S. commitment to keep American troops at the current level.
That raised speculation the U.S. may be considering troop cuts.
“Instead of keeping a certain level of American troops at a particular country, it is pushing for a policy flexibly adjusting troop levels in consideration of security situations,” the defense ministry said in an answer to a question from Rep. Kang Dae-sik of the main opposition People Power Party about why the troop commitment was missing.
Still, Suh said the U.S. has pledged an “unshakable commitment” to the security of South Korea at the Security Consultative Meeting, and there were no discussions on the possible reduction of the USFK force level.
Asked to comment on the omission of the expression on keeping USFK troop levels, Suh said the Pentagon appears to have received guidelines to have a more flexible stance on the level of its troops dispatched overseas.
“The issue is bound by the U.S.’ National Defense Authorization Act, so that no discussions (about the possible reduction in the number of USFK troops) took place during the meeting,” Suh noted.
The NDAA disallows the reduction of the number of American troops in South Korea below the current level unless the U.S. defense secretary certifies that reduction is in the U.S. national security interest.
The defense ministry also issued a separate statement on Monday and stressed that “there have not been any discussions on the USFK troop level between the two sides up until now.”
“A senior U.S. official who attended the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) also confirmed that the omission of the sentence about the maintenance of the current level of American troops in South Korea does not mean any reduction,” the ministry said.
Talk of the troop reduction came as the two sides have failed to narrow differences over their cost sharing for the upkeep of the 28,500-strong USFK under the bilateral deal, called the Special Measures Agreement.
On Oct. 5, USFK informed South Korean employees of a furlough that could occur in April next year in case the two countries fail to reach an agreement on their defense cost-sharing deal.
More than 4,000 South Korean workers already experienced unpaid leave from April to June this year before the U.S. accepted South Korea’s proposal to fund the labor costs for all USFK Korean workers through the end of the year.
The U.S. has been pushing for greater “strategic flexibility” for its forces deployed around the world.
Esper said earlier that he wants to pursue more rotational force deployments into theaters as it gives the U.S. greater strategic flexibility in terms of responding to challenges around the globe, though he stressed that he has not issued an order to withdraw forces from the Korean Peninsula.
Defense Minister Suh Wook speaks during a parliamentary audit session at the National Assembly in Seoul on Oct. 26, 2020. (Yonhap)
President Donald Trump answers a question as Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden listens during the second and final presidential debate at Belmont University on Oct. 22, 2020 in Nashville, Tenn. (Morry Gash-Pool/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON ― In the final presidential debate of the 2020 election cycle, former Vice President Joe Biden attacked President Donald Trump over his chummy relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who recentlyunveileda new, larger intercontinental ballistic missile.
Trump claimed that Biden and President Barack Obama had left him with a foreign policy mess, and then falselyclaimed that Obama had tried and failed to secure a meeting with Kim. “We have a different kind of relationship. We have a very good relationship, and there’s no war,” Trump said of himself and Kim.
Biden shot back: “We had a good relationship with Hitler before he, in fact, invaded the rest of Europe. The reason [Kim] wouldn’t meet with President Obama is because [Obama] said we’re going to talk about denuclearization.”
Biden said he would only consent to meet if Kim agreed to draw down his nuclear capacity, and that Biden would maintain pressure on China, which has leverage over the Kim regime.
“What has he done?” Biden said of Trump. “He’s legitimized North Korea, he’s talked about his good buddy, who’s a thug, a thug. And he talks about how we’re better off, and they have much more capable missiles, able to reach U.S. territory much more easily than ever before.”
North Korea is continuing to produce nuclear material, according to a Congressional Research Service report. In addition, between May 2019 and late March 2020, North Korea conducted multiple short-range ballistic missile tests in violation of United Nations Security Council prohibitions.
This image made from video broadcast by North Korea’s KRT, shows a military parade with what appears to be possible new intercontinental ballistic missile at the Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, Oct. 10, 2020. (KRT via AP)
Multiple diplomatic initiatives during both Democratic and Republican administrations have failed to get North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump dared to be different, opting for in-person meetings with Kim in Singapore, Hanoi and the Demilitarized Zone.
But despite the summits and exchanges of what Trump called “love” letters, his administration has been unable to get traction on denuclearizing North Korea. The last known working group meeting was last October.
Asked about reports of Russia and Iran have sought to influence the U.S. election, Biden accused China as well and vowed to ensureany country interfering in the U.S. electionwould “pay a price, if I’m elected.”
When Biden questioned why Trump hadn’t confronted Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said nobody had been tougher on Russia than himself ― toutingU.S. sales of Javelin anti-tank weaponsandclaiming credit misleadinglyfor an agreement by NATO members to increase spending on their own defense.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump shake hands across the line separating North and South Korea on June 30, 2019. KCNA
SEOUL, South Korea — During the final debate before the election, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden called North Korea’s leader a “thug” but said he would meet with Kim Jong Un if the communist state agrees to denuclearize.
The comment came during a testy exchange Thursday evening between Biden and President Donald Trump over how to deal with North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
The former vice president accused his Republican rival of cozying up to Kim, whose regime is ranked as one of the worst human rights abusers, with a policy that has allowed the North to continue improving its arsenal.
The North showed off a huge new intercontinental ballistic missile during an Oct. 10 military parade, although it has not conducted a long-range missile or nuclear test in nearly three years.
Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to meet with a North Korean leader during a June 2018 summit in Singapore during which they agreed to a vague promise to “work toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”
The leaders met twice more in Vietnam and on the Korean border, although nuclear talks between the two nations deadlocked after they failed to agree on details about sanctions relief and disarmament steps.
The president reiterated his usual talking points that his engagement with Kim prevented a new war from breaking out on the divided peninsula, which is home to some 28,500 U.S. troops.
“We have a very good relationship and there’s no war,” he said.
Biden criticized Trump’s top-down approach.
“What has he done? He’s legitimized North Korea. He’s talked about his good buddy who’s a thug, a thug,” Biden said. “And he talks about how we’re better off and they have much more capable missiles able to reach U.S. territory much more easily than it ever did before.”
Biden said he would maintain pressure on China to help rein in its communist ally if he wins the Nov. 3 vote.
In response to a question about whether he would meet with Kim, Biden said only “on the condition that he would agree that he would be drawing down his nuclear capacity.”
However, Biden offered few details about how his policy would be different after decades of initiatives by administrations from both parties have failed to prevent the North from developing nuclear weapons.
Trump said Biden and then-President Barack Obama had left him “a mess” and claimed that Obama had tried to meet with Kim but was rejected because Kim “didn’t like him.”
Former Obama administration officials have vehemently denied that claim, saying the Democratic leader never considered meeting with Kim as U.S. policy at the time was to rely on economic sanctions to pressure the regime to give up nuclear weapons.
“We had a good relationship with Hitler before he, in fact, invaded Europe,” Biden said. “Come on. The reason [Kim] would not meet with President Obama is because President Obama said, ‘We’re going to talk about denuclearization. We’re not going to legitimize you and we’re going to continue to push stronger and stronger sanctions on you.’”
U.S. Gen. Vincent Brooks, former commander of U.S. Forces Korea and the Combined Forces Command, said Tuesday the U.S. alliance with South Korea is in danger of unraveling. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI
NEW YORK, Oct. 21 (UPI) — A standoff in defense burden-sharing negotiations between the United States and South Korea is raising concerns of an unraveling of the alliance, as both sides look toward upcoming elections.U.S. Gen. Vincent Brooks, former commander of U.S. Forces Korea and the Combined Forces Command, said Tuesday at a virtual symposium hosted by the Institute for Korean-American Studies in Washington the emphasis on national self-interest is endangering a 70-year-old “blood-forged” alliance.“There is a drifting right now” amid political motivation in most countries, Brooks said. U.S. and South Korean administrations need to “hold a high standard.”Brooks, who served as U.S. Forces Korea commander from 2016 to 2018, also said the increase in nationalistic views on the alliance is an “anathema.” Self-interest above alliance will weaken the alliance and can cause the relationship to come apart altogether, the former commander said.
“Things like the Special Measures Agreement are clearly on pause,” he said, referring to defense cost negotiations.
Brooks’ comments come at a sensitive time in U.S.-South Korea relations. Since the beginning of U.S. President Donald Trump‘s term, he has lamented a perceived lack of financial commitment from allies to the global U.S. military presence. South Korea, meanwhile, has struggled to justify U.S. demands for a five-fold, or $5 billion, annual contribution to U.S. troops.
Brooks said Tuesday the U.S. policy toward South Korea misses the mark. Seoul is “by far and away a global exemplar” among alliances, in terms of percentage of GDP spent on defense.
Trump’s views have become U.S. policy amid the impasse, however.
On Monday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said at an Atlantic Council event that he would continue to push for increasing burden sharing, less than a week after meeting with his South Korean counterpart in Washington. Esper also said the Pentagon continues to prioritize the strengthening of alliances.
The 52nd Security Consultative Meeting held last Wednesday ended with a U.S.-South Korea joint statement that did not include references to maintaining current troop levels on the Korean Peninsula. The phrase was included in last year’s statement.
Last week’s meeting of top defense officials drew criticism in Seoul, where main opposition lawmakers said the administration of South Korean President Moon Jae-in was not in lockstep with Washington. The statement issued last week shows “discord” on various issues, including a threat assessment for North Korea, trilateral cooperation with Japan and conditions-based transition of wartime operational control from the U.S.-led United Nations Command, or OPCON, lawmaker Cho Tae-yong said, South Korean news service EDaily reported Sunday.
OPCON has become a hot-button issue for both sides. According to the JoongAng Ilbo last week, U.S. defense officials were not in agreement to complete the transfer before May 2022, the end of Moon’s term.
Brooks said he is concerned about misunderstandings regarding the transition. OPCON does not imply the “sudden giving of sovereignty to South Korea,” as it is “incorrectly perceived by the body politic.” Neither does OPCON subjugate U.S. forces to foreign command, Brooks said.
But the former U.S. commander also said South Korea could be lowering standards for conditions of transition as a response to perceived political pressure. Moon could be aiming for a completed transition before he leaves office despite U.S. reservations. Seoul’s progressive government could also be sensing pressure from Pyongyang to demonstrate a higher degree of autonomy from the United States.
“The North has clearly put pressure on South to show independence,” Brooks said.
South Korean independence from U.S. decision-making has been demonstrated in Moon’s call for an end-of-war declaration with North Korea. Skeptics have said the proposal would be a dangerous move.
But Brooks, who has said North Korea is waiting until after the U.S. presidential election Nov. 3 to resume talks, said an end-of-war declaration is not widely accepted but worthy of consideration.
An end-of-war declaration is far short of a peace treaty, he said.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 (Yonhap) — The United States continues to face ongoing threats from rogue states such as North Korea, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said Tuesday, highlighting the need to further enhance his country’s alliances and defense capabilities.
“Since my confirmation as secretary of defense well over a year ago, my No. 1 priority has been implementing the national defense strategy (NDS). The NDS tells us that we are now in an era of great power competition, with our primary competitors being China and Russia,” the U.S. defense chief said in a webinar hosted by a Washington-based think tank, the Atlantic Council.
“At the same time, we face ongoing threats from rogue states, such as North Korea and Iran. Finally, regrettably, we’ll be dealing with violent extremist organizations for years to come,” he added.
In the photo, taken Oct. 14, 2020, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper (L) is seen speaking in the annual defense ministerial talks, known as the Security Consultative Meeting, held with his South Korean counterpart, Suh Wook, in Washington. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
It marks the first time in months that the U.S. defense chief has referred to North Korea as a rogue nation, a term that angers the communist state, nearly without fail.
Publicly, Esper last referred to Pyongyang as a rogue nation in August.
North Korea has maintained and continues to maintain a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests since November 2017, but its leader, Kim Jong-un, has said he no longer feel bound by such restrictions.
Esper’s use of the term against North Korea comes after the communist state unveiled a new, longer-range intercontinental ballistic missile at its recent military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of its ruling Workers’ Party on Oct. 10.
His remarks also come amid stalled negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang on denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.
U.S. President Donald Trump has held three meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, including two bilateral summits held June 2018 and February 2019 in Singapore and Hanoi, respectively.
Their talks, however, have stalled since their second summit ended without a deal.
Turning to what the U.S. calls growing competition from China and Russia, Esper called on U.S. allies to share a greater burden in ensuring their common goal of security.
“We also expect them to be ready, capable and willing to deploy when trouble calls. We expect them to stand shoulder to shoulder with the United States in confronting Chinese bad behavior and Russian aggression,” he said.
“To overcome the increasingly complex threats in the 21st century and defend our shared values, there can be no free riders in our common security,” added the U.S. defense secretary.
His remarks mostly dealt with the U.S.’ NATO allies, but they come amid a deadlock in burden-sharing negotiations between South Korea and the United States.
Seoul has offered to increase its burden-sharing in maintaining some 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea by up to 13 percent from the US$870 million it paid under last year’s agreement.
The U.S., on the other hand, is said to be demanding a 50 percent spike to $1.3 billion per year.
Esper noted the U.S. has been asking its NATO allies to boost their defense spending to 2 percent of their gross domestic product as part of their burden-sharing efforts.
South Korea spent over 46 trillion ($40.4 billion) in defense spending in 2019, the 10th largest amount in the world that accounted for 2.6 percent of its GDP.
SEOUL, Oct. 20 (Yonhap) — North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has pledged to further boost friendly relations with China, the North’s state media said Tuesday.
Kim said he would make positive efforts with Chinese President Xi Jinping to “further consolidate and develop the traditional DPRK-China friendly relations,” the North’s Korean Central News Agency reported, using the acronym of the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Kim made the remarks on Monday in a reply message to Xi, who sent a congratulatory letter to Kim earlier this month to mark the 75th founding anniversary of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party.
Xi expressed China’s intent to “successfully defend, consolidate and develop” the bilateral relations.
China is North Korea’s most important trading partner and a key source of food, arms, and fuel, giving Beijing significant leverage over Pyongyang.
Earlier this month, North Korea showcased a new intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking any part of the continental U.S. during a military parade to mark the 75th founding anniversary of the Workers’ Party.
Thousands rally to welcome the 8th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, Oct. 12, 2020. (Jon Chol Jin/AP)
WASHINGTON — “Where’s the war?” That’s how President Donald Trump defends his North Korea policy at campaign rallies even though he’s joined the list of U.S. presidents unable to stop the ever-growing nuclear threat from Kim Jong Un. That threat will transcend the November election, no matter who wins.
Arms experts said the missile could possibly fire multiple nuclear warheads at the United States. It serves as a reminder that despite Trump’s boasts, North Korea remains one of the biggest dangers to U.S. national security.
North Korea hasn’t been a major campaign issue, though it could surface in Thursday’s debate, which is supposed to include a national security segment. Democrat Joe Biden has blasted Trump’s chummy relationship with Kim, saying that, if elected, he would not meet the North Korean leader unless diplomats first draft a comprehensive agreement. Trump, meanwhile, predicts he can get a deal quickly if reelected, citing the dire conditions in North Korea.
North Korea on Saturday reiterated it has no immediate plans to resume nuclear negotiations with the United States unless Washington discards what it describes as “hostile” polices toward Pyongyang.
Kim Tong-Hyung, The Associated Press
Talk of a quick deal is probably just talk because there’s no sign of significant contacts between Washington and Pyongyang, says Bruce Klingner, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation and former CIA Korea deputy chief. He and other North Korea watchers say they are bracing for Kim to showcase his military might again after the U.S. election.
“North Korea already has an ICBM that can range all over the United States, down to Florida and beyond, so the only reason to have an even larger missile is to be able to carry a larger payload,” Klingner said. He said it’s likely that North Korea will “do something strongly provocative early next year, regardless of who is elected president.”
This image made from video broadcast by North Korea’s KRT, shows a military parade with what appears to be possible new intercontinental ballistic missile at the Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, Oct. 10, 2020. (KRT via AP)
North Korea is continuing to produce nuclear material, according to a Congressional Research Service report. In addition, between May 2019 and late March 2020, North Korea conducted multiple short-range ballistic missile tests in violation of United Nations Security Council prohibitions.
Multiple diplomatic initiatives during both Democratic and Republican administrations have failed to get North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump dared to be different, opting for in-person meetings with Kim in Singapore, Hanoi and the Demilitarized Zone.
But despite the summits and exchanges of what Trump called “love” letters, his administration has been unable to get traction on denuclearizing North Korea. The last known working group meeting was last October.
Even so, Trump is still claiming victory, saying he’s kept the U.S. out of war with North Korea.
“Where’s the war?” he asked supporters last week in Greenville, North Carolina. He’s used the same line in other campaign speeches in battleground states.
“We have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un,” he said in Freeland, Michigan. “Who knows what likely happens? All I know is we’re not in war and that’s OK.”
Biden says that if he’s elected, he will inherit a North Korean challenge that is worse than when Trump took office.
“After three made-for-TV summits, we still don’t have a single concrete commitment from North Korea,” Biden said in a statement on North Korea. “Not one missile or nuclear weapon has been destroyed. Not one inspector is on the ground. If anything, the situation has gotten worse.”
He added: “North Korea has more capability today than when Trump began his ‘love affair’ with Kim Jong Un, a murderous tyrant who, thanks to Trump, is no longer an isolated pariah on the world stage.” Biden has pledged to work with allies to press Kim to denuclearize.
Biden’s advisers say the former vice president is not averse to sitting down with Kim, but not before a comprehensive negotiating strategy is outlined at working-level meetings by diplomats on both sides. The Biden campaign also criticizes Trump for scaling back military exercises with South Korea.
In this Oct. 2, 2019, file photo provided by the North Korean government, an underwater-launched missile lifts off in the waters off North Korea’s eastern coastal town of Wonsan, North Korea. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)
North Korea typically fires off missiles or conducts tests in a show of force before key U.S. and South Korean elections. This time, experts predict, Kim will engage in saber-rattling after he knows who wins.
“Kim would like to deal with President Trump, rather than Biden,” said Sue Mi Terry, a former intelligence analyst specializing in East Asia who is now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She said Kim does not want to make trouble for Trump by conducting a major provocation before the election. “In January,” she said. “That’s the time we need to watch out for it.”
If Biden wins, the North Koreans will want to engage with the new administration from a position of strength, according to Victor Cha, who negotiated with North Korea during the George W. Bush administration. If Trump wins, Cha thinks the president might want to move quickly to begin negotiations because he went “all in” on his man-to-man diplomacy with Kim and doesn’t want to accept personal defeat.
Some experts believe that instead of repeating diplomatic failures, the U.S. should recognize the reclusive nation as a nuclear weapons state and mitigate the threat through arms control treaties.
Biden’s vice presidential running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, disagrees, saying the U.S. cannot accept North Korea as a nuclear power. But she also said, in written responses to questions posed by the Council on Foreign Relations, that demanding complete denuclearization is a “recipe for failure.”
She has pledged a tough approach to North Korea.
“I guarantee you I won’t be exchanging love letters with Kim Jong Un,” she wrote.
SEOUL, Oct. 20 (Yonhap) — Defense Minister Suh Wook and Adm. Phil Davidson, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, discussed the security situation on the Korean Peninsula Tuesday and vowed a stronger combined readiness posture to support diplomacy to denuclearize North Korea, Seoul’s defense ministry said.
The U.S. commander arrived here Monday for a two-day visit as part of his trip to Asia.
South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook (L) and Adm. Phil Davidson (R), commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, hold talks in Seoul on Oct. 20, 2020, in this photo provided by the defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
During the meeting in Seoul, Suh and Davidson “shared the importance of the command’s role for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of a permanent peace, and agreed to maintain a strong combined defense posture to militarily support diplomatic efforts made jointly by the two nations,” according to the ministry.
North Korea is believed to have continued to advance its nuclear and missile capabilities amid stalled denuclearization talks with the U.S. During a massive military parade held earlier this month, the regime unveiled a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).
The two sides also discussed regional security circumstances and a variety of alliance issues, the ministry noted.
Suh expressed gratitude for the command’s role in the repatriation of remains of South Korean troops killed during the 1950-53 Korean War from Hawaii in June.
Davidson said that South Korea’s response to the new coronavirus has greatly contributed to the stable stationing of the U.S. Forces Korea, according to the ministry.
Prior to the meeting with Suh, the U.S. commander met with Gen. Won In-choul, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and discussed key issues of mutual interest, it added.
Earlier in the day, Davidson also met with U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Harry Harris and “talked about the U.S.-ROK alliance,” the ambassador tweeted. ROK is the acronym of South Korea’s official name, the Republic of Korea.
The commander is scheduled to leave for Japan later in the day before returning to Hawaii, according to officials.
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