US Marine chief visits Korea's Marine Corps headquarters

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Thu, November 30, 2023 | 08:01

Defense

US Marine chief visits Korea's Marine Corps headquarters

Posted : 2023-05-11 17:11

Updated : 2023-05-11 17:11

Korean Marine Corps Commandant Lt. Gen. Kim Gye-hwan, right, and his U.S. counterpart, Gen. David H. Berger, pose for a photo with a hanging scroll bearing Berger's Korean name gifted by the Korea's armed service at its headquarters in Hwaseong, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, May 11. Yonhap

The top U.S. Marine commander visited Korea's Marine Corps headquarters Thursday to mark the 70th anniversary of the two countries' alliance and received a Korean name in recognition of his efforts to strengthen bilateral ties, officials said.

Gen. David H. Berger, commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, made the visit to the unit in Hwaseong, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, and met with his Korean counterpart, Lt. Gen. Kim Gye-hwan, according to Korea's Marine Corps.

During the visit, the armed service gifted him a Korean name ― Beom Maru ― to thank him for his efforts for the security of the Korean Peninsula and to develop the Korea-U.S. alliance.

Beom means tiger, while Maru means peak in Korean. The Marine Corps said the name stands for Berger "bravely catapulting the U.S. Marine Corps' to the top like a tiger."

Kim thanked Berger for his efforts to maintain the combined defense posture, while Berger said the ties between the two armed services are stronger than ever and unshakeable, according to the Marine Corps.

The U.S. general arrived in Korea on Wednesday for a three-day trip. (Yonhap)