Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

"UFG practice, evolving into a solid US-ROK alliance"

Kyung Doo Jung, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with Harry Harris, the US Pacific Commander, who visited Korea on July 22nd, and discussed ways to deal with the accelerating North Korean nuclear and missile threats. The two agreed that the JCS and the US Pacific Command must cooperate closely to effectively respond to and suppress North Korea's threats.

"The current UFG(Ulchi Freedom Guardian) practice will evolve into a symbol of strong ROK-US alliance and a tough unified defense posture," said Chairman Jung. "We will continue to cooperate in order to develop the ROK-US alliance as a mutually complementary and great alliance."

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said, "This visit from Commander Harris took place during the UFG exercise period, and Chairman Jung and General Harris had an in-depth discussion on the US and ROK military issues to suppress North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, and on maintaining the strong unified defense posture that our slogan "Fight Tonight" encapsulates. The recent summit of the US military leaders demonstrates the solidarity of the ROK-US alliance in the face of heightened North Korean threats, and reaffirms the US defense commitment to the ROK, both domestically and internationally."