Acting President Han, new CFC commander reaffirm commitment to robust security posture

Acting President Han Duck-soo reaffirmed the strong alliance between South Korea and the United States during a phone call Monday with Gen. Xavier Brunson, the new commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), the prime minister's office said.

Han congratulated Gen. Brunson on his new role and urged continued efforts to strengthen the 70-year-old alliance between the two allies.

He also highlighted Seoul's close consultations with its allies to maintain stability amid recent political turmoil, emphasizing the importance of a robust security posture to counter potential provocations from North Korea.

Brunson expressed his commitment to his new role and stressed the need for decisive action over words to ensure security readiness against potential threats from Pyongyang, according to the office.

Earlier in the day, Adm. Kim Myung-soo, chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), and Gen. Brunson also emphasized the significance of the alliance during a separate phone call.

They discussed the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and explored measures to bolster their combined defense posture.

Kim stressed that the alliance is a "linchpin" in defending stability on the peninsula, saying that it stands steadfast despite changes in the domestic and overseas security situation.

In response, Brunson underscored the importance of communications between them and called for maintaining the momentum for trilateral exercises among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan to advance their security cooperation, the JCS said.

Brunson took office as the new CFC commander on Friday, replacing Gen. Paul LaCamera. He doubles as commander of the U.S. Forces Korea and the U.N. Command. (Yonhap)