ROK-U.S. News

Yonhap – S. Korean, U.S. troops end two-week combined exercise

SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) — South Korea and the United States wrapped up a major combined military exercise Thursday, Seoul officials said, in a conclusion highlighting their pursuit of stronger deterrence against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.

The allies completed the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, which kicked off Aug. 22, despite North Korean state media slamming the annual drills as a rehearsal for war against the reclusive regime.

The exercise involved more than a dozen field training events in line with the conservative Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s commitment to “normalizing” drills scaled back or suspended under the former liberal Moon Jae-in administration’s drive for peace.

South Korean and U.S. troops engage in the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise in the southeastern port city of Busan on Aug. 29, 2022. (Yonhap)

South Korean and U.S. troops engage in the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise in the southeastern port city of Busan on Aug. 29, 2022. (Yonhap)

Based on an all-out war concept, the exercise entailed three key elements — the computer-simulation command post exercise, field training and the South Korean government’s Ulchi civil defense drills

It proceeded in two major parts — the first segment involving drills on repelling North Korean attacks and defending the greater Seoul area, with the second part focusing on counterattack operations.

Gen. Ahn Byung-Seok, the deputy commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, led the entire exercise to conduct a key capability assessment required for the envisioned transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to Seoul from Washington.

The full operational capability assessment is the second part of the three-stage program to vet the South’s capabilities to lead combined forces. The program is part of numerous conditions required for the OPCON handover.

Throughout the exercise, the allies maintained tight vigilance amid concerns that the North could engage in provocative acts, like a nuclear test or missile launch, on the pretext of responding to the drills.

 

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Yonhap – S. Korean military leading key exercise with U.S. in step toward OPCON transition

By Song Sang-ho

SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) — South Korea is leading the entirety of a major combined military exercise with the United States for the first time, Seoul officials said Wednesday, in a sign of progress in the allies’ plan for the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON).

Gen. Ahn Byung-Seok, the deputy commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), is leading the ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise — a venue for a key test of Seoul’s capabilities to retake the OPCON from Washington.

In 2019, the South partially led an exercise with the U.S. But this year, it is to command combined forces during the whole duration of the ongoing exercise, according to the officials.

Ahn has taken the commanding role, albeit in an exercise, as the two countries are conducting the full operational capability (FOC) assessment, the second part of the three-stage program to vet the South’s capabilities to lead combined forces.

The program is one of numerous steps that the allies are required to take to achieve the “conditions-based” OPCON transition. Other conditions include the South’s strike and air defense capabilities and the regional security environment conducive to the handover.

CFC Commander Gen. Paul LaCamera stressed the importance of the ongoing exercise in light of the allies’ efforts toward the OPCON transfer.

“This is significant because for the first time ever, the CFC deputy commander will take the lead as the future CFC commander,” LaCamera was quoted by his office as saying.

The South handed over operational control over its troops to the U.S.-led U.N. Command during the 1950-53 Korean War. It was then transferred to the U.S.-led CFC when the command was launched in 1978.

Seoul retook peacetime OPCON in 1994, but Washington keeps wartime OPCON. The wartime OPCON transfer was previously set for 2015 but was postponed, as the allies agreed in 2014 to a conditions-based handover amid North Korea’s rising nuclear and missile threats.

The UFS that kicked off on Monday is set to run through Sept. 1.

Meanwhile, Seoul’s Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup led a tabletop exercise aimed at deterring and countering threats from North Korea’s nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). It involved officials from the foreign and interior ministries, and other related agencies.

Lee stressed the need for cooperation with the U.S. in ensuring the credibility of America’s extended deterrence — its stated commitment to using a whole range of its military assets, including nuclear arms, to defend its ally, his office said.

He also highlighted his priority on deterring the North’s possible use of WMDs while discussing various steps to take in case threats of the North’s potential nuclear use emerge.

As part of the UFS, the South and the U.S. are also conducting the three-day Buddy Wing air exercise set to run through Thursday.

Some 10 warplanes, including the U.S. Air Force’s F-16 jets and the South’s KF-16s, have been mobilized for the exercise aimed at enhancing combined air operational capabilities, Seoul officials said.

South Korean and U.S. troops engage in a combined military exercise at a wartime command bunker in a city south of Seoul on Aug. 23, 2022, in this photo released by the defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

South Korean and U.S. troops engage in a combined military exercise at a wartime command bunker in a city south of Seoul on Aug. 23, 2022, in this photo released by the defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

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Yonhap – S. Korea, U.S. kick off combined Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise

 

SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Yonhap) — South Korea and the United States began a regular combined military exercise Monday, reviving large-scale field training suspended four years ago as the allies push to bolster defense against evolving North Korean nuclear and missile threats.

The Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise is set to run through Sept. 1, involving an array of contingency drills, like concurrent field maneuvers that were not held over the past years under the preceding Moon Jae-in administration’s drive for peace with Pyongyang.

The allies have kept up vigilance against the possibility of Pyongyang undertaking provocations on the pretext of reacting to their exercise, which the recalcitrant regime has decried as a war rehearsal.

Based on an all-out war concept, the exercise entails three key elements — the computer-simulation command post exercise, field training and Ulchi civil defense drills.

It is to proceed in two parts — the first segment involving drills on repelling North Korean attacks and defending the greater Seoul area, with the second part focusing on counterattack operations.

During the first segment, the Seoul government will concurrently hold the Ulchi drills for four days, including those practicing transitioning to a wartime support mode.

The UFS will incorporate drills for various real-life scenarios, including the discovery of improvised explosive devices at nuclear power plants, a fire at a semiconductor factory, paralysis of a banking network, terrorism at airports and drone attacks, according to the defense ministry.

During the exercise, the allies plan to conduct 13 combined field training programs.

The exercise also includes the full operational capability (FOC) assessment, a key procedure for the envisioned conditions-based transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington to Seoul.

The FOC assessment is the second part of the three-stage program designed to vet Seoul’s capabilities to lead the allies’ combined forces. The program is part of various conditions required for the OPCON handover.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the two sides have put in place a set of strict antivirus measures, such as requiring troops to take virus tests before joining the exercise and wear face masks.

As part of the UFS, the Navy and personnel from the Army, police, fire service and other agencies engaged in a joint training program on countering chemical, biological, radiological and terorist threats at a port in Incheon, west of Seoul, Navy officials said.

Meanwhile, a North Korean propaganda website, Ryomyong, carried a commentary blasting the allied exercise as a “pitiful” move against a nuclear power and a “dangerous military provocation.”

 

This photo, taken Aug. 16, 2022, shows attack helicopters at Camp Humphreys, a key U.S. military installation, in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)

This photo, taken Aug. 16, 2022, shows attack helicopters at Camp Humphreys, a key U.S. military installation, in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)

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Article: https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220822001552325?section=national/defense

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KDVA Welcomes New Board Member

KDVA Welcomes New Board Member

주한미군전우회 새 임원 환영사

July 23, 2022

2022 년 7월 23일

The Korea Defense Veterans Association (KDVA) Board of Directors is honored to announce a new Board member, Maj. Gen. (Ret.) James W. Lukeman, U.S. Marine Corps. 주한미군전우회(KDVA) 이사회는 제임스 루크먼 미 해병대 (예) 소장님의 이사회 합류 소식을 전하게 되어 영광입니다.

General (Ret.) Vincent Brooks, KDVA Chairman and President said, “Adding Jim Lukeman to the Board expands our reach to a broader set of Korea Defense Veterans, including our colleagues from the Sea Services. Having served with Jim while he was leading the most sensitive policy and planning actions for the Alliance, I am certain that his insights will be impactful in KDVA’s efforts to further strengthen the Alliance and support its defenders.”

KDVA 이사장 및 회장이신 빈센트 브룩스 (예) 대장님은 다음과 같이 말씀하셨습니다: “짐 루크먼을 이사회 일원으로 받아들이게 된 것은 해군 및 해병 전우들을 포함한 참전용사들이 주한미군전우회와 더욱 가까워졌음을 뜻합니다. 저는 짐이 한미동맹에 있어 가장 민감한 정책과 계획 입안 노력을 이끄는 시기동안 함께했기 때문에, 그의 경험과 식견이 한미동맹을 강화하고 동맹을 수호하는 한미 양국군을 지원하는 주한미군전우회의 활동에 지대한 영향을 끼칠 것이라 확신합니다.

While on active duty, General Lukeman served the Alliance as Commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Korea and subsequently as the Director of Strategy, Plans, and Policy for the United Nations Command, for the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command, and for U.S. Forces Korea.

현역 복무기간 동안, 짐 루크먼 장군은 주한미 해병대사령관으로 복무했고, 유엔사/한미연합사/주한미군사 기획참모부장으로서 전략처, 기획처, 정책처를 이끌며 한미동맹을 지원했습니다.

General Lukeman said, “Being a part of this Association that cares deeply about the Alliance and our Veterans is an honor. Serving in Korea was one of the highlights of my career … we had a real-world mission serving in a country that is vitally important to the United States. I look forward to the great task of continuing to increase KDVA’s membership so that more people who care about the ROK-U.S. Alliance and our Veterans can participate to make a difference for Americans and Koreans. I am excited to get started!”

루크먼 (예) 소장은 다음과 같이 소감을 전했습니다. “한미동맹과 참전용사 및 전역장병들에 대해 깊은 관심을 갖고 활동하는 주한미군전우회 이사회의 일원이 되어 영광입니다. 한국에서의 복무 경험은 경력 중에서도 손꼽을만한 경험이었습니다. 저와 제 부하들은 미국에 지극히 중요한 대한민국에서 실제상황에 직결되는 임무를 맡았습니다. 저는 한미동맹과 우리 전우를 아끼는 사람들이 더 많이 참여하고, 모든 미국과 한국 국민들에게 변화를 줄 수 있도록 참전용사 및 전역장병들 또한 더 많이 참여해 주한미군전우회의 회원 수를 계속 늘려가는 중대한 과업을 이어가도록 하겠습니다. 함께하게 되어 기쁩니다!”

Maj. Gen. Lukeman retired on July 1, 2020 after 40 years of continuous active service. He was born in Beaufort, South Carolina and was raised in a Marine Corps family. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame and was commissioned through the Naval ROTC program in 1980.

루크먼 (예) 소장은 40년간의 현역 생활을 마치고 2020년 7월 1일 퇴역했습니다. 그는 사우스캐롤라이나주 보퍼트에서 태어났으며, 해병대 가정에서 자랐습니다. 그는 노트르담 대학교를 졸업했고 1980년에 ROTC 프로그램을 통해 임관되었습니다.

Please see his complete biography at https://kdva.vet/leadership/.
루크먼 (예) 소장의 약력은 https://kdva.vet/leadership/에서 확인하실 수 있습니다.

KDVA has built a reputation as a premier association that supports and advocates for the people who built the ROK-U.S. Alliance and continue to serve it in U.S. Forces Korea and Combined Forces Command. KDVA is a 501C(3) non-profit organization incorporated in the state of Virginia. Please contact KDVA at contact@kdva.vet, visit www.kdva.vet, and follow us on Facebook (@kdva.us) and Twitter (@KDVAvets).

주한미군전우회는 한미동맹의 기틀을 다진 이들과 주한미군사 및 연합사에서 동맹을 위해 헌신을 다하고 있는 이들에 대한 지원 및 후원을 제공하는 최고의 단체로 자리잡았습니다. 주한미군전우회는 버지니아 주에 설립된 501C(3) 비영리 단체입니다. www.kdva.vet를 방문하여 contact@kdva.vet로 연락 주십시오. Facebook(@kdva.us) 및 Twitter(@KDVAvets)에서도 KDVA를 팔로우해주시기 바랍니다. 감사합니다.


Download: Press Release_General Lukeman New KDVA Board Member_20220723

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Announcing New KDVA Member Portal and Experience!

KDVA is excited to announce a new and improved KDVA Member Portal using a different system.  KDVA Members will have better capabilities to search our member director, discuss topics on forums, and create and connect with groups with shared interests.

We invite you to the new KDVA Member Portal! Our log in page is located at: https://kdva.memberclicks.net/login

Once logged in, please take this opportunity to ensure your information is correct and make any updates.  Having a good database will make it easier for all members to connect and help each other.

We hope you enjoy this enhanced member experience. If you have any KDVA Membership questions or run into any technical difficulties, please feel free to email us at contact@kdva.vet.

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Congratulatory Message for U.S. Force Korea’s Founding Day July 1, 2022

The U.S. – ROK Alliance is an exemplary alliance around the world. As the most evident demonstration of the commitment of the United States to the defense of the Republic of Korea the Alliance can see and feel every day the presence of U.S. Forces Korea. U.S. Forces Korea or USFK — those Service Members from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Special Operations, and Space Force, the Department of Defense Civilians, and their Families who served in the Republic of Korea from the founding on July 1, 1957, to the present day – truly is the “heart” of the Alliance.

The Korea Defense Veterans Association (KDVA), formed to support and strengthen the Alliance and the Veterans of the Alliance, is very proud of USFK and extends congratulations on this, the 65th Anniversary of the founding day.

Working and living in USFK truly is “an assignment of choice” for so many reasons: the mission of standing shoulder to shoulder in the face of a relentless and dangerous north Korean threat, the caring and friendly Korean people, the vibrant and beautiful South Korean country, the people of USFK and the other U.S. government agencies, and the wonderful Korean culture.

To those who previously served within USFK – Happy Anniversary. For those who serve within USFK today – thanks for your service and for representing the United States so well in Korea.

Please know that your friends and former colleagues at KDVA support you and stand with you “Together for the ROK-U.S. Alliance.”

Vincent K. Brooks
General, U.S. Army (Retired) Chairman & President
Korea Defense Veterans Association


Download Statement: KDVA’s Congratulatory Message for USFK’s Anniversary_20220701

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Yonhap – Defense chief stresses S. Korea’s commitment to stronger alliance with U.S. amid N.K. threats

By Song Sang-ho

SEOUL, June 23 (Yonhap) — Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup on Thursday reaffirmed South Korea’s commitment to further strengthening its alliance with the United States, pointing to the “very grave” security threats from North Korea.

He was speaking at a breakfast meeting with former and current South Korean and U.S. officials, as concerns have grown about the possibility of the North carrying out its seventh nuclear experiment at the Punggye-ri testing site.

“Due to the advances in North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities, and its preparations for a seventh nuclear test, the security situation on the Korean Peninsula is very grave,” Lee said. “Our military will always strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance further and firmly defend South Korea.”

Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup speaks during a breakfast meeting with former and current South Korean and U.S. officials at a hotel in Seoul on June 23, 2022. (Yonhap)

Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup speaks during a breakfast meeting with former and current South Korean and U.S. officials at a hotel in Seoul on June 23, 2022. (Yonhap)

The Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation and the Korea Defense Veterans Association hosted the gathering, titled “National Prayer Breakfast Meeting for Strengthening National Security and the ROK-U.S. Alliance.” ROK stands for South Korea’s official name, Republic of Korea.

At the meeting, Foreign Minister Park Jin also delivered a speech highlighting Seoul’s concerns over Pyongyang’s evolving military threats.

Park pointed out that the North’s military capabilities are threatening peace not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in the world, and that the allies are working together toward the shared goal of the North’s complete denuclearization ultimately for the sake of “sustainable peace.”

Attendees at the meeting included Rep. Kim Jin-pyo, the main opposition Democratic Party’s candidate for National Assembly speaker, and Christopher Del Corso, the charge d’affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul.

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Article: https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220623002400325?section=national/defense

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Congratulatory Letter to Eighth Army on Founding Day 10 June 2022

LTG William Burleson, CSM Robert Cobb, and the Soldiers of the “Pacific Victors!”

On this day of Eighth Army’s founding, the Korea Defense Veterans Association proudly salutes and thanks each Soldier of the Pacific Victors – past and present – who have answered our nation’s call throughout the Pacific, and since 1950 to defend the Republic of Korea and support the vital ROK-U.S. Alliance.

Serving through the seven decades of the crucible of the Korean War, the dangers of the early years along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), and various North Korean attacks and provocations, the Soldiers of the largest U.S. military unit in Korea have taken the lion’s share of responsibility for security in the most important region of the world. You are truly irreplaceable. Moreover, the unique and highly successful experiment of the Korean Augmentation to The U.S. Army or KATUSA program continues to form the closest military relationship in the Alliance.

KDVA’s sole mission is to support the Alliance and our Veterans. On this anniversary, please know that we at KDVA are standing with the Eighth Army. We pledge that our members, partners, and supporters will remember Eighth Army’s years of sacrifices as we continue working “Together for the ROK-U.S. Alliance.”

Vincent K. Brooks
General, U.S. Army (Retired) Chairman & President
Korea Defense Veterans Association



Download Message: KDVA’s Congratulatory Letter for 8A’s Anniversary

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Yonhap – Allies in talks on new site for residual U.S. military facilities: sources

By Song Sang-ho

SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) — South Korea and the United States are in talks over the selection of a new site to house American military facilities that the countries have agreed to retain in central Seoul under their broader base relocation scheme, sources here said Wednesday.

The two sides have been “positively” weighing the idea of putting residual military facilities in a site right next to an area in the northernmost portion of the U.S. military’s Yongsan Garrison — now reserved for the construction of the new U.S. Embassy compound, according to the sources.

Seoul and Washington had initially agreed to put the residual facilities in a 105,000-square-meter site within the southern section of the garrison. The reconsideration came after the recent relocation of South Korea’s presidential office close to that site.

“The two sides are positively discussing the selection of a new site, but no final decision has been made yet,” a source told Yonhap News Agency on condition of anonymity.

The two countries have agreed to retain the residual facilities in Yongsan despite their agreement to relocate other facilities in the garrison to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of the capital. The facilities include the Dragon Hill Lodge.

Allies in talks on new site for residual U.S. military facilities: sources - 1

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Article: https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220608003400325?section=national/defense

News articles do not necessarily reflect the views of KDVA. Any copyrighted materials depicted on this web site are presented for educational purposes only and no claim of ownership is made by KDVA.

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Yonhap – U.S. will push for tougher sanctions on N. Korea in case of nuclear test: U.S. envoy

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, May 31 (Yonhap) — The United States will push for additional U.N. sanctions on North Korea should the recalcitrant state go ahead with its feared nuclear test, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Tuesday.

The remarks come after the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) failed to pass a U.S.-proposed sanctions resolution on North Korea last week due to opposition from China and Russia.

“First of all, we need to enforce the sanctions that we have already authority to enforce,” the U.S. diplomat told reporters in New York, according to AFP.

“And we certainly, as we attempted in this last resolution, will push for additional sanctions,” she added when asked if the U.S. would push for a new sanctions resolution if Pyongyang goes ahead with a nuclear test.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had repeatedly warned that a North Korean nuclear test may be in the offing, possibly during President Joe Biden’s recently concluded trip to South Korea and Japan.

Pyongyang fired three ballistic missiles on the heels of Biden’s first visit to Asia last week, marking its 17th show of force this year.

Officials in Seoul and Washington have noted that Pyongyang may have already completed “all preparations” for a nuclear test. The country conducted its last and sixth nuclear test in September 2017.

Shortly after the U.S.-proposed sanctions resolution was vetoed Friday by China and Russia, both permanent members of the UNSC and close allies of North Korea, Thomas-Greenfield said the U.S. will continue to hold North Korea accountable for the threat it poses to the region and the rest of the world.

“I am beyond disappointed that the Council has not been able to unify in opposition (to) the DPRK’s unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs. And that failure rests on China and Russia alone,” she has said in a released statement, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“The United States will not stand down as long as Kim Jung-un continues his unlawful WMD and ballistic missile program and seeks to threaten regional and global security with more destabilizing ballistic missile launches,” she added.

bdk@yna.co.kr
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Article: https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220601000400325?section=nk/nk

News articles do not necessarily reflect the views of KDVA. Any copyrighted materials depicted on this web site are presented for educational purposes only and no claim of ownership is made by KDVA.

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