Gen. Xavier Brunson told a webinar that combined U.S.-South Korea exercises are vital to maintaining readiness and deterring threats on the Korean Peninsula. His remarks came after Seoul signaled it might scale back drills to encourage talks with North Korea; the allies have reduced exercises during past diplomatic windows. Brunson also warned that growing Russian–DPRK cooperation heightens risk and urged accelerated modernization in cyber, space and force organization.
USFK Commander: Joint U.S.-South Korea Drills 'Critically Important' As Seoul Weighs Scaling Back To Reopen Talks
USFK commander Gen. Xavier Brunson (L) said Friday that joint military exercises are "critically important" for defending the Korean Peninsula. In this January photo, Brunson is saluting alongside then-chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff Kim Myung-soo. Photo by Yonhap
SEOUL — Combined U.S.-South Korea military exercises remain essential to defending the Korean Peninsula, U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. Xavier Brunson said Friday, responding to recent signals from Seoul that the drills could be reduced to help restart diplomacy with Pyongyang.
Brunson made his remarks during a Zoom webinar hosted by the Korean Defense Veterans Association and the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation.
"The way that we exercise is critically important to us going forward," Brunson said. "Peace is maintained by our ability to maintain our readiness, and so we've got to ensure that our exercises remain the cornerstone of all the readiness that we can achieve on the Peninsula."
His comments followed public indications from South Korea's Unification Ministry and President Lee Jae-myung that Seoul may consider downsizing or adjusting the two large-scale exercises held each spring and summer as a negotiating lever to reopen communication with North Korea. The allies previously scaled back similar drills during diplomatic windows, including 2018–19.
"Whenever someone — I don't care who it is — talks about exercising less or exercising differently, they need to understand that there are two times in a year where we absolutely need some support," Brunson said. "Sometimes we forget that our ability to engage in rigorous, realistic training is a thing that separates this alliance from any other that exists."
Brunson also warned that expanding military cooperation between North Korea and Russia increases the threat environment facing the alliance.
"Russian-DPRK collaboration is real — it is not a quid pro quo relationship," he said, using the official acronym for North Korea. "There are things we know are happening right now that give me pause as I look at what might face us down the road, whether that be training, or techniques and procedures they're learning from the front."
Seoul's National Intelligence Service has reported that Pyongyang provided significant support to Moscow's campaign in Ukraine, including thousands of shipping containers of munitions and the deployment of about 15,000 personnel to assist Russian forces in the Kursk region. Analysts say Russia appears to be reciprocating by transferring advanced military technology to North Korea, reportedly including space launch vehicle assistance, reconnaissance satellites and air defense systems.
Given that evolving threat landscape, Brunson urged the U.S.-South Korea alliance to accelerate modernization across multiple domains — especially cyber and space — and to reorganize force structures and training to meet future challenges.
"We've got to change the way that we're organized for the fights," he said. "There are insidious things being done on and off the Peninsula that impact the Republic of Korea. So we've got to change the way that we're organized."
The U.S. and South Korea continue to balance deterrence and diplomacy as they assess the best approach to both maintain readiness and explore avenues for renewed talks with North Korea.
