Anchor: Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of United States Forces Korea, or USFK, has emphasized the need for flexibility on South Korea’s part as the two allies work to “modernize” their military partnership. On Sunday USFK released Brunson’s comments from a news conference with South Korean reporters at Camp Humphreys, where he did not rule out a drawdown of the 28-thousand-500 American soldiers stationed on the Korean Peninsula. 
Kim Bum-soo has more. 

Report: The commander of the U.S. forces stationed on the Korean Peninsula says the U.S. military alliance with South Korea must now evolve.

And that might require reducing the number of troops stationed in South Korea, or changing their mission. 

[Sound bite: Gen. Xavier Brunson – Commander, US Forces Korea]
“I think that there needs to be changes within USFK. That’s my thoughts as a commander. And one of the things I think about is not about numbers at all. I think about capabilities.”

In his first news conference with South Korean reporters, Gen. Xavier Brunson addressed the issue of modernizing the alliance.

[Sound bite: Gen. Xavier Brunson – Commander, US Forces Korea]
“When you have the ROK-U.S. alliance, we don’t name an adversary. In any of our documents, no adversary is named. We see North Korea because they’re the closest alligator to the boat.”

The remarks came amid talk of reducing the number of troops on the peninsula, which currently stands at 28-thousand-500.

The Pentagon is calling for greater flexibility in managing USFK to contain China’s growing presence, and to deal with the threats Russia and North Korea pose in and around the Korean Peninsula. 

But the USFK chief indicated that this envisioned flexibility doesn’t mean South Korea will be asked to engage in a potential future mission in the South China Sea.

[Sound bite: Gen. Xavier Brunson – Commander, US Forces Korea]
“And so I don’t think it should be considered a foregone conclusion that we’re saying, ‘Hey, if we go to Taiwan, you’re going to Taiwan too.’ That’s not the case. What’s being asked of Korea is to be stronger against DPRK — that we might have the flexibility as we modernize our alliance so that we could go do other things.”

USFK’s mission and troop numbers are expected to top the agenda at the upcoming South Korea-U.S. summit later this month.

On the issue of transferring wartime operational control from Washington to Seoul, Brunson cautioned that taking “shortcuts” could undermine the readiness posture on the Korean Peninsula.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.