South Korea Affirms Significance Of US Forces' Role

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) TOKYO, March 31 (KUNA) -- South Korean Defense Ministry affirmed on Monday significance of the American forces' role in the Asian nation, in a declaration that followed a US media report claiming that Washington was shifting priority to defensing US territories and deterring China.
Yonhap News Agency quoted defense ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyou as saying during a news conference that there has been change in status of the deployed American forces, affirming "their great role" in bolstering stability and peace on the Korean peninsula.
Asked if priorities of the 28,500-strong American force in Korea has been altered , Jeon said, "This has not changed," and the South Korean Army maintains a joint and stable defense posture vis a vis any circumstances, based on the alliance with the US.
The Washington Post had reported that the Pentagon will "assume risk in other theaters" and push allies to increase their defense spending to deter threats from Russia, North Korea and Iran.
The report cited a nine-page secret internal memo, distributed throughout the Pentagon in mid-March and signed by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. It spawned speculations about a possible change to the US forces' role in South Korea. (end)
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