[Anchor]

The commander of the US 8th Army, which commands the US ground forces in South Korea, stated that it is irresponsible to confine US forces in South Korea solely to the defense of the Korean Peninsula. He suggested that troops must be capable of being deployed outside the peninsula if necessary. Plans to turn South Korea into a key logistical hub to back up US forces in the event of a contingency are also materializing.

This report is from Washington by correspondent Lee Hanseok.

[Reporter]

Lieutenant General Joseph Hilbert, commander of the US 8th Army, which is responsible for core ground forces for deterrence against North Korea, stated in an interview with the South China Morning Post that focusing US forces in South Korea solely on threats within the peninsula is shortsighted and irresponsible.

He added that the US 8th Army is a global force that can be deployed anywhere in the world, emphasizing that service members must be ready to be dispatched outside the Korean Peninsula if orders are given.

This is interpreted as a direct hint at the possibility of deploying US 8th Army ground forces stationed in South Korea in the event of a conflict breaking out around China, such as in the Taiwan Strait.

It is highly unusual for the concept of strategic flexibility—previously discussed primarily in terms of air or naval forces—to be articulated so specifically by a ground combat unit commander.

This aligns with the defense strategy stance of the Trump administration, where South Korea assumes more proactive responsibility for deterrence against North Korea, while US forces respond more flexibly to multilateral security threats in the region.

Alongside this, plans to utilize South Korea not merely as a target of defense, but as a core logistical hub to support US forces during a contingency, are also taking shape.

Analysts suggest that in the event of a regional emergency, South Korea, equipped with a robust defense industrial base, would take on the role of supplying military goods and sustaining operations.

As the US 8th Army emphasizes its character as a regional mobile force beyond the fundamental mission of the South Korea-US alliance, discussions surrounding future burden-sharing and roles between Seoul and Washington are expected to become even more concrete.

(Video taken by Oh Jung-shik | Video edited by Kim Jin-won)