USFK commander calls for 'adaptability' in alliance modernization with S. Korea

Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of the U.S. Forces Korea, speaks to reporters during a press conference at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Aug. 8. Yonhap

The commander of the U.S. military in Korea said Wednesday that Seoul and Washington need to modernize their decadeslong military alliance through "adaptability," as the Trump administration might seek to rework the alliance to better counter the threat from China.

Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), made the remarks at a forum in Seoul, amid reports that Washington may readjust the role of the USFK to cope with a changing regional security environment, in addition to its defense posture to deter North Korea.

"How do we modernize our alliance and threats of all pastors and our processes? And I believe the answer to that is that we modernize through adaptability," Brunson said.

"Our alliance is not a relic of the past, it's a foundation for the future. We're not just reacting to threats. We're shaping the environment. We're setting the terms of stability in the Indo-Pacific," he said.

"We're not only defending today, we're securing tomorrow for our soldiers, for our citizens and for the generations to come," Brunson said.

Citing China's "unprecedented" encircling military drills against Taiwan in 2022, Brunson called for "coalitions" among like-minded nations in times of crisis.

"We also saw here in the Indo-Pacific, when China launched unprecedented encircling drills around Taiwan in 2022 in a matter of hours," Brunson said.

"Beijing mobilized aircraft, ships and missile systems in a coordinated display of force that caught the world's attention for regional militaries, it was a stark reminder that flash points can escalate without warning, and that deterrence and readiness must account for sudden shifts in tempo," he said.

"These examples remind us truly that security is not only about capabilities, but it's about coalitions, nations willing to come together quickly in moments of crisis," Brunson said.

Earlier this week, South Korea, the United States and Japan launched their trilateral military drills, in what is seen as their continued efforts to deepen three-way security cooperation against North Korea's military threats.

The five-day Freedom Edge exercise got under way in international waters east and south of South Korea's southern island of Jeju from Sept. 15-19.

Brunson said the three-way drills were "a tangible display, and we are expanding beyond bilateral deterrence to integrated regional security."

"These exercises send an unmistakable message. We are united, interoperable and ready," he said.