U.S. Eighth Army Commander: "Prepare for Threats Beyond Korean Peninsula" — Aimed at China?

[Anchor]

Lt. Gen. Joseph Hilbert, commander of the U.S. Eighth Army, has asserted that "U.S. forces in Korea must also be prepared for threats beyond the Korean Peninsula." In addition, Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, suggested conducting South Korea-U.S. combined military exercises year-round and dispersed across the entire peninsula.

Senior defense reporter Kim Tae-hoon reports on the real intent behind the changes proposed by these commanders.

[Reporter]

In an interview with Hong Kong media outlet South China Morning Post yesterday (October 21), Lt. Gen. Joseph Hilbert, commander of the U.S. Eighth Army, defined the Eighth Army as "part of a global army that can be committed to any threat where needed."

He also stated, "Just because the Eighth Army is stationed in South Korea does not mean its operational scope is limited to the Korean Peninsula."

While these remarks articulate the United States' strategic flexibility aimed at expanding the operational scope of U.S. Forces Korea beyond the peninsula with China in sight, Lt. Gen. Hilbert's direct superior, Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, abruptly proposed an overhaul of how South Korea-U.S. combined exercises are conducted.

[Gen. Xavier Brunson / Commander of U.S. Forces Korea (Yesterday, at an American Chamber of Commerce in Korea meeting): "We recognized that we cannot solely rely on twice-a-year exercises for our readiness. Exercises must be conducted year-round."]

On October 12, local time, at an event held in Washington, D.C., Gen. Brunson also stated, "We must conduct dispersed training throughout the Korean Peninsula."

His concept is to secure forces conditioned for all four seasons and all types of terrain by conducting combined South Korea-U.S. exercises year-round in time and across the entire Korean Peninsula in space.

Gen. Brunson's plan is prompting speculation that, rather than building up South Korean military capabilities for the transfer of wartime operational control, it may be designed to reinforce U.S. forces in Korea into an all-weather force prepared for missions addressing threats beyond the peninsula.

Experts point out that if U.S. forces in Korea intervene in earnest in threats outside the peninsula, South Korea could automatically be drawn into a military clash between the United States and China. Therefore, in-depth consultations between the top leadership of both nations must precede any restructuring of USFK's missions and training.

(Video by Lee Byung-joo | Video Editing by Choi Jin-hwa | Graphics by Lee Ga-jin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.