USFK commander confirms nuclear umbrella for Seoul

Brooks stresses need for THAAD against North Korea missiles

By Jun Ji-hye

Gen. Vincent Brooks

Gen. Vincent Brooks, the incoming commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), said Tuesday that it was very important for his country to provide "nuclear umbrella" protection, or extended deterrence, to South Korea in order to counter nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.

Brooks, who will replace Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti as USFK commander, also said Washington is looking for a non-nuclear Korean Peninsula, apparently refuting earlier claims made by Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump that he will support South Korea developing nuclear weapons if he becomes the next U.S. president.

When asked whether Washington's withdrawal of a nuclear umbrella could motivate Seoul to develop its own nuclear arsenal, Brooks said under that scenario, the South would have to think about developing its own nuclear weapons for self-defense.

"I think they would have to contemplate that to maintain their own security," he said. "That question would likely come up."

Brooks, currently commander of U.S. Army Pacific, made the remark during a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing.

It is an apparent rejection of claims made by Trump that he would be open to allowing Seoul and Tokyo to develop nuclear weapons, rather than depending on the American nuclear umbrella for protection against the North.

Following the North's fourth nuclear test in January and long-range rocket launch in February, some conservative lawmakers and experts here also said South Korea should develop its own nuclear weapons.

Brooks ruled out the possibility of a withdrawal of the U.S. nuclear umbrella in the foreseeable future, saying that a pullout was possible only when there was no nuclear hazard, but "we're not at that time now and nor will we be in the near future."

Brooks said Seoul is sharing a "significant load" of the costs for the stationing of some 28,500 American troops in South Korea, again refuting Trump's argument that the country is getting a free defense ride from the U.S.

"The Republic of Korea is carrying a significant load and is dedicated to our presence there," he said, adding that the Asian ally is "paying about 50 percent of our personnel costs of being there."

In 2014, the allies renewed the Special Measure Agreement (SMA) on sharing the financial burden for keeping U.S. troops in Korea, and Seoul paid 920 billion won ($790 million) during that year.

The renewed SMA, which will apply until 2018, also stipulates that the amount paid must reflect inflation and increase Seoul's cost-sharing every year by up to 4 percent.

Brooks noted that South Korea is also sharing the considerable cost of a massive $10.8 billion project to relocate the headquarters of the USFK and Eighth Army, which are currently located on Yongsan Garrison in central Seoul, as well as the 2nd Infantry Division, currently north of Seoul, to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of the capital, by next year.

Referring to the relocation plan as "the largest Department of Defense construction project we have anywhere in the world," Brooks said, "They carry 92 percent of that, 92 cents on a dollar."

When asked if it would cost more to keep those troops stationed in the U.S. than it would be in Korea, Brook said, "Absolutely."

Trump has repeatedly argued that he would be willing to withdraw U.S. forces from South Korea and Japan unless the two pay more, making unfounded claims that wealthy nations are relying on the U.S. for their defense funding while giving the U.S. nothing in return.

In written testimony, Brooks said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to be "more risk-tolerant, arrogant, and impulsive than his father, raising the prospect of miscalculation."

"Compared to his father, Kim Jong-un is more aggressive with advancing the North's nuclear program and ignoring international concerns," he said. "His father was more willing to offer negotiations, probably to ease Chinese and other international pressure."

The general also stressed that it was necessary to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery on the peninsula to better deter growing threats of the North's ballistic missiles.

"If confirmed, we would continue to work through this bilateral mechanism of discussing the utility and the possible place of a THAAD battery," he said. "In my opinion, it is a necessary capability — whether THAAD or something like that. There needs to be that layer of protection added to a broader set of protections against ballistic missiles."

The allies officially announced their decision to discuss the THAAD deployment here on Feb. 7, hours after the North launched a long-range rocket. The two nations began their working-level talks on March 4 to iron out details of the deployment such as a possible location.

But the discussion has also been the focus of controversy due to the negative influence that the U.S. missile defense system could possibly exert on Seoul's relations with Beijing, as well as possible potential safety, health and environmental risks.

China is strongly opposed to THAAD deployment on Korean soil, out of concern that the system's AN/TPY-2 radar system could snoop on its military activities and missile capabilities.