NK gaining troop deployment, combat experience in Ukraine war: USFK chief
U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Apr. 10, in this photo provided by the committee's website. Yonhap
WASHINGTON — North Korea is gaining experience in deploying troops and sustaining military operations over long distances through its involvement in Russia's war against Ukraine, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Tuesday.
U.S. Gen. Xavier Brunson made the remarks during a dialogue hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, highlighting the military benefits Pyongyang has gained from deploying troops and supplying weapons to support Moscow in the war.
"They've learned how to go from North Korea to find themselves in Russia to move men, weapons and equipment there, as well to build supply lines that would allow them to support the Russian war effort," Brunson said when asked about the experiences Pyongyang gained through its participation in the conflict.
Brunson stressed that North Korea's military has gained experience in strategic movement, mobilization and logistics, allowing it to develop capabilities that extend beyond tactical lessons learned on the battlefield.
The commander warned that North Korea's military is becoming increasingly capable of incorporating battlefield experience into its forces, posing new challenges for South Korea and the United States in maintaining deterrence on the Korean Peninsula.
He also highlighted the military equipment North Korea has received from Russia in return for supporting its war effort, including electronic warfare jammers.
In June 2024, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, under which North Korea has deployed troops and provided conventional weapons to support Russia's war with Ukraine.
On the envisioned transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington to Seoul, Brunson reiterated his support for a conditions-based transition, stressing the importance of meeting agreed military requirements before proceeding with the handover.
"I am in full support of OPCON transfer that is conditions based, full stop," he said.
"At the end of the day, if my president, if my secretary of war tell me, 'Execute right now,' I go, 'Yes, but here are the risks inherent in doing this without having fully met the conditions, securing the critical capabilities that are necessary.'"
On South Korea's defense industry, Brunson praised its advanced manufacturing capabilities and highlighted the potential for greater cooperation in maintaining and repairing U.S. military equipment in the region, rather than sending it back to the U.S. for maintenance.
"We could develop things in Korea that we would then apply across the region," he said, envisioning a regional maintenance, repair and overhaul hub that could leverage South Korean industrial capabilities to support U.S. military operations across the Indo-Pacific