Top U.S. Military Commander In Korea Expresses His Worries On The Military & Security Situation

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel greets U.S. Army Gen. James D. Thurman, commander of Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea, upon arrival in Seoul, South Korea, Sept. 29, 2013. Hagel plans to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the U.S.-South Korea alliance; participate in the 45th Security Consultative Meeting; preside over the U.S. Forces Korea change of command ceremony and visit U.S. and South Korean troops. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

U.S. Commander Worried About North Korean Nuclear Threat, Calls For Seoul To Bolster Defense Forces, Tactics -- HNGN

A commander of the United States army said on Tuesday that South Korea must ramp up its missile and cyber defenses against threats from the North.

Gen. James Thurman, who has worked as a member of the U.S. forces in Korea, will leave his post on Wednesday and retire. Before his withdrawal, Thurman provided a grim estimation of North Korea's perceived motivation to become a nuclear power while painting a heavy picture of Pyongyang's enigmatic leader, Kim Jong-un.

Thurman told the Associated Press that his main worry stems from whether United States ally South Korea will be able to confront the cyber attacks, long-range missiles and heavy artillery that the North has threatened to execute.

Read more ....

More News On U.S. Military Chiefs Expressing Their Concerns On The Military/Security Situation On The Korean Peninsula

U.S. military commander says ‘close watch’ needed on N. Korea’s Kim Jong Un -- Washington Post
US commander says he worries most about NKorea’s missiles, cyber threats -- Washington Post/AP
North Korea Road-Mobile Missile a Concern for U.S., Thurman Says -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Hagel visits DMZ, says NKorea watching Syrian development on chemical weapons -- Washington Post/AP
Chuck Hagel in South Korea for military talks -- BBC
Hagel Raises Worries About North Korea's Chemical Weapons On DMZ Trip -- Christian Science Monitor
Hagel: US Will Not Cut Forces in Korea -- Voice of America
Hagel in South Korea; will discuss extending US wartime control of South’s forces -- Washington Post/AP
No decision on extending US wartime command of SKoreans: Hagel -- FOX News/AFP

Read More

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel Is In South Korea For Security And Military Talks

DEMILITARIZED ZONE

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, right, and South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, second from right, stand at the Ouellette Observation Post at the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea, Sept. 30, 2013. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

Chuck Hagel In South Korea For Military Talks -- BBC

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel is in South Korea for talks, where the eventual transfer of military control to Seoul is expected to be a key issue.

Under the current alliance, the US has operational control over South Korean troops in the event of war.

Seoul was due to resume control in 2015, but appears to want an extension, given ongoing tensions with the North.

The two Koreas remain technically at war as the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice and not a peace treaty.

Mr Hagel, who is visiting South Korea for the first time since becoming defence secretary, said Seoul's military had become "much more sophisticated, much more capable".

"We're constantly re-evaluating each of our roles," he told reporters on Sunday during his flight to Seoul.

Read more ....

More News On US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel Visiting South Korea For Security And Military Talks

Handover of U.S. command of South Korean troops still under debate -- Washington Post
No decision on extending US wartime command of SKoreans: Hagel -- FOX News/AFP
Hagel to Assess South Korea Readiness With Handover Looming -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Hagel in South Korea; will discuss extending US wartime control of South’s forces -- Washington Post/AP
Hagel: US Will Not Cut Forces in Korea -- Voice of America
Hagel Praises 60-year-old U.S.-South Korean Alliance -- US Department of Defense
Hagel tours last Cold War frontier in Korea -- FOX News/AFP
Hagel Watches Training, Tours DMZ During Korea Visit -- US Department of Defense
North Korean soldiers eye, photograph Chuck Hagel during his visit to DMZ -- NBC
U.S. defense chief makes symbolic visit to Korea's truce village -- Global Post/AFP
Dempsey, Hagel arrive in South Korea as part of military pivot to Asia -- Washington Times

Read More