Amid directives from President Donald Trump to reduce U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises, U.S. Forces Korea Commander Javier Brunson visited the South Korean Defense Ministry on August 18 for discussions.
Brunson was spotted by reporters as he arrived at the ministry in Yongsan, Seoul, and stayed for about 20 minutes. He only mentioned that there was a 'meeting' when leaving, but did not provide details on whom he met or what was discussed.
It is reported that Brunson met with Defense Minister An Gyu-baek during his visit. The two sides are expected to have discussed follow-up measures in response to Trump's directive to scale back joint military exercises.
On August 16, Trump stated on social media platform Truth Social that he was not pleased with the longstanding agreement for the U.S. to participate in joint military exercises with South Korea, considering his 'very good relationship' with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to significantly reduce the scale of these exercises.
The following day, the U.S. Department of Defense expressed its commitment to actively work on implementing the commander-in-chief's directives.
As a result, there are expectations that U.S. and South Korean military authorities may begin concrete discussions on reducing joint exercises. Notably, the ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, which started on August 17 and is aimed at defending the Korean Peninsula in case of emergencies, could also be subject to reductions. Given the clear directive from Trump, it is likely that the U.S. Department of Defense will convey specific proposals or requests regarding the reduction of joint exercises to South Korea.
Brunson was spotted by reporters as he arrived at the ministry in Yongsan, Seoul, and stayed for about 20 minutes. He only mentioned that there was a 'meeting' when leaving, but did not provide details on whom he met or what was discussed.
It is reported that Brunson met with Defense Minister An Gyu-baek during his visit. The two sides are expected to have discussed follow-up measures in response to Trump's directive to scale back joint military exercises.
On August 16, Trump stated on social media platform Truth Social that he was not pleased with the longstanding agreement for the U.S. to participate in joint military exercises with South Korea, considering his 'very good relationship' with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to significantly reduce the scale of these exercises.
The following day, the U.S. Department of Defense expressed its commitment to actively work on implementing the commander-in-chief's directives.
As a result, there are expectations that U.S. and South Korean military authorities may begin concrete discussions on reducing joint exercises. Notably, the ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, which started on August 17 and is aimed at defending the Korean Peninsula in case of emergencies, could also be subject to reductions. Given the clear directive from Trump, it is likely that the U.S. Department of Defense will convey specific proposals or requests regarding the reduction of joint exercises to South Korea.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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