 |
| Gen. Anthony J. Cotton, left, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, meets with Gen. Paul LaCamera, commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) at CP Tango, a key U.S.-controlled wartime bunker, Tuesday, in this photo provided by the USFK. Yonhap |
The commander of a key U.S. military unit in charge of overseeing the country's nuclear arsenal visited South Korea on Tuesday to reaffirm America's "ironclad" commitment to its ally, the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said, amid ongoing major military drills between the allies.
Gen. Anthony J. Cotton, chief of the U.S. Strategic Command, arrived in South Korea earlier in the day as the allies have been staging the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise since Aug. 21 to strengthen the combined defense posture.
Cotton met with U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Philip Goldberg and discussed South Korea's role for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region.
He later visited CP Tango, a key U.S.-controlled wartime command bunker complex, to meet USFK Commander Gen. Paul LaCamera, where he was briefed on the ongoing UFS.
During his trip, Cotton will meet with senior South Korean officials to discuss ways the two sides can contribute to the stability of the Indo-Pacific region as discussed in the Washington Declaration issued by the two countries in April and a recent trilateral summit between the leaders of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, according to the USFK.
On Aug. 18, President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, where they adopted a series of documents that outlined their commitments to enhance security and economic cooperation, such as launching an annual Trilateral Indo-Pacific Dialogue.
It marks Cotton's first visit to the Western Pacific region since taking office in December last year, according to the USFK. (Yonhap)
![[INTERVIEW] How AmazeVR revolutionizes aespa's LYNK-POP concert](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/4431833759c44bdaa414cb314e90f2fe.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[REVIEW] Musical 'Monte Cristo' returns with riveting tale of vengeance, love](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/3934be1fa6844478b619a015d610bc5b.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Meet the man behind giant rubber ducks that once took over Seoul](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/df32c60c8204448e98ccdb9841366bec.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
