SEOUL, February 25 (AJP) - Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), has expressed "regret" that South Korean defense officials were not briefed on last week's U.S. air drill over the West Sea.
In a statement issued late Tuesday, Brunson said he regretted that South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were "not briefed in time," clarifying that he had discussed the drill with Ahn by phone.
USFK conducted a large-scale air drill last Wednesday with about a dozen F-16 fighter jets flying over South Korea's air defense identification zone (KADIZ), prompting China to scramble its own jets, which led to a brief aerial standoff.
Raising concerns about the incident, Ahn reportedly complained to Brunson the following day that details of the drill had not been properly shared in advance, saying that it had heightened military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
But U.S. Forces Korea said it regularly conducts drills to "maintain the highest level of readiness," adding "We do not apologize for maintaining readiness."
In a statement issued late Tuesday, Brunson said he regretted that South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were "not briefed in time," clarifying that he had discussed the drill with Ahn by phone.
USFK conducted a large-scale air drill last Wednesday with about a dozen F-16 fighter jets flying over South Korea's air defense identification zone (KADIZ), prompting China to scramble its own jets, which led to a brief aerial standoff.
Raising concerns about the incident, Ahn reportedly complained to Brunson the following day that details of the drill had not been properly shared in advance, saying that it had heightened military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
But U.S. Forces Korea said it regularly conducts drills to "maintain the highest level of readiness," adding "We do not apologize for maintaining readiness."
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