US Forces Korea commander to receive Korean name at farewell event
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, left, talks with U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Robert Abrams after arriving at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Mar. 17, 2021. Yonhap
Outgoing U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Robert Abrams will receive a Korean name as a gift from a South Korea-U.S. friendship group during his farewell event next week, organizers said Thursday.
The Republic of Korea-U.S. Alliance Friendship Association will present the name, Woo Byung-soo, to the four-star general for "his contributions to the alliance and defense of South Korea" at the event scheduled for next Thursday, according to the group.
The first name, Byung-soo, is made of the Chinese characters Byung standing for "authority" and Soo meaning "excellence," while the city of Pyeongtaek, where USFK is headquartered, was chosen as the origin of the last name, Woo, officials said.
Abrams, who is also at the helm of the U.N. Command and the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, took office in November 2018.
In December, then U.S. President Donald Trump nominated Army Pacific Commander Gen. Paul LaCamera to succeed Abrams to lead the 28,500 American troops in South Korea, though the exact schedule for the change of command is still unclear.
The nomination is now pending at the Senate Armed Services Committee for a confirmation hearing. (Yonhap)