Photo : YONHAP News
The U.S. Army general nominated to lead the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command(CFC) identified North Korea’s rapid advancement of its nuclear and missile capabilities as the single greatest challenge facing the allied forces.
In a confirmation hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington on Tuesday, Lieut. Gen. Xavier Brunson said that the advancement of the weapons systems, combined with the North’s stated ambition to exponentially expand its nuclear arsenal, is the single greatest challenge for the tri-command.
The tri-command refers to the CFC, the United Nations Command and the U.S. Forces Korea(USFK) which he would concurrently lead if appointed.
Brunson, who currently commands I Corps, the U.S. Army’s operational headquarters for the Indo-Pacific region, said the phrase “fight tonight” is a reality for the troops serving in Korea.
He said he is aware of the threat South Korea faces and understands that, if confirmed, his role would be ensuring a constant state of readiness for all forces on the peninsula.