By Jun Ji-hye
The U.S. special forces, trained to target North Korean weapons of mass destruction, have arrived in South Korea for a joint drill with the Special Warfare Command here, according to military officials, Thursday.
The United States Forces Korea (USFK) said the troops belong to the 75th Ranger Regiment and the 1st Special Forces Group, key elements of the country’s special ground operations.
The 75th Ranger Regiment is one of the most elite units in the U.S. tasked with destroying key facilities as well as conducting air assault and rescue operations. The regiment has participated in various operations against terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The 1st Special Forces Group, mainly operating in the Pacific region, has been carrying out anti-terrorism operations in Asia.
The dispatch of these units comes amid growing tension over the North’s projected plan to launch a long-range rocket between Feb. 8 and 25, just weeks after its fourth nuclear test conducted on Jan. 6.
It is rare for the USFK to disclose the dispatch of special forces and their training plans. Observers say the rare press release from the USFK is apparently intended to send a warning message to Pyongyang.
The USFK said the joint training is to increase alliance special operations readiness and capability on the Korean Peninsula.
“Throughout 2015, U.S. air, maritime and ground Special Operations Forces (SOF) conducted combined training and joint complex training events with their ROK special operations partners in the rugged terrain and off the waters of the Korean peninsula,” the USFK said in a release.
Sustaining rotational U.S. special operations forces in Korea strengthen the alliance by ensuring a high level of ready, flexible, and agile combined special operation forces and enables the USFK to leverage SOF capability to deter regional asymmetric aggression, and maintain peace for the Korean people, it added.
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