USFK says report on Pentagon-directed statement contains inaccuracies

U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson speaks at a change-of-command ceremony in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Dec. 20, 2024, in this photo provided by the Defense Daily. Newsis

U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Friday that a local media report, which claimed its recent statement on communication with Korea about a West Sea drill was issued under instructions from Washington, contains multiple inaccuracies.

In response to an inquiry from The Korea Times, USFK said the report included “many parts that differ from the facts.” But it did not specify which elements it disputed or provide further clarification.

The report in question said that a statement issued by USFK on Feb. 24 concerning the West Sea drill earlier in the month was prepared under direction from the U.S. Department of Defense. It said USFK Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson shared details of the situation with higher authorities in the United States and coordinated messaging before releasing it.

The report also said that U.S. officials raised concerns about how information related to the incident was transmitted within Korea’s military chain of command.

USFK did not tell The Korea Times whether it would issue a formal rebuttal to the report.

The issue stemmed from a Feb. 18 incident in which USFK training flights near China’s air defense identification zone prompted Chinese forces to scramble aircraft in response, leading to a brief standoff between U.S. and Chinese warplanes.

The controversy grew after a local broadcaster reported that the USFK commander had conveyed an apology to the Korean side over the encounter, a claim that drew attention when Korea’s defense ministry said parts of the report were accurate.

However, USFK said in the statement in question, "Gen. Xavier Brunson spoke directly with the [Korean defense] minister to reiterate that notification had been provided to the Republic of Korea side and expressed regret that (the minister) and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were not briefed in time."

The statement also read: “U.S. Forces Korea conducts regular training to maintain the highest level of readiness and ensure it can fulfill its mission. We don’t make apologies for maintaining readiness."