The U.S. Department of Defense said that the mission of U.S. Forces Korea(USFK) is to defend South Korea and protect the national interests of the United States.

Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder made the remarks on Tuesday during a press briefing when asked whether South Korea or USFK would be involved in defending Taiwan in the event of an attack by China.

The spokesperson declined to give a direct answer to the questions, saying that it would be better to ask the South Korean government, but said that the general commitment of USFK is to the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

He continued to say that the U.S. force is committed to maintaining readiness and a robust combined defense posture to defend South Korea’s sovereignty and U.S. interests in the region.

Ryder then responded to a follow-up by saying that he would not entertain hypotheticals, adding that the U.S. and South Korea have a long history as very old allies that have closely cooperated to defend the Korean Peninsula and the regional interests of the U.S.