Minister An Gyu-baek of the Ministry of National Defense visited the wartime command post of the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command on the 20th and urged the establishment of a joint defense posture during the 'Ulchi Freedom Shield' (UFS) exercise.
According to the Ministry of National Defense, Minister An encouraged the Korea-U.S. service members participating in the UFS exercise that day. He noted, "This exercise is the first one conducted after the launch of the 'people's sovereignty government' and is a precious opportunity to showcase the strength of the Korea-U.S. alliance and enhance our joint defense posture," and urged the U.S. and Korean service members to work shoulder to shoulder to establish the joint defense posture of 'Fight Tonight.'
Minister An further told the service members dedicated to the UFS exercise, "The sweat that Korea-U.S. service members are shedding at this moment is the driving force that protects peace in the Republic of Korea," and urged them to give their best until the end of the exercise.
Xavier Brunson, commander of the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces and U.S. Forces Korea, reported to Minister An on the progress of the UFS exercise. Commander Brunson stated, "UFS is an exercise demonstrating the strength of the Korea-U.S. alliance and our firm commitment to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," and added, "This defensive training focuses on enhancing our combined readiness posture, testing joint capabilities, and establishing perfect interoperability between the United Nations Command and our allies."