South Korea’s top military officer met with the commander of U.S. Transportation Command on Sunday, marking a rare high-level exchange aimed at boosting joint military transport capabilities as tensions rise on the Korean Peninsula.
General Kim Myung Soo, Chairman of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, welcomed General Randall Reed, who leads U.S. TRANSCOM, for talks in Seoul on June 9. The two generals discussed deepening cooperation on logistics and transportation between the two allied forces, emphasizing the need for rapid military deployment in case of a crisis involving North Korea.
General Kim described the U.S.-South Korea alliance as “the most exemplary and powerful in the world,” calling it a cornerstone for regional stability not only on the peninsula but across the broader Indo-Pacific. He highlighted the growing need for a solid joint defense posture, citing the North’s advancing nuclear and missile capabilities, along with emerging threats in cyber warfare and increasingly close military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow.
Both commanders agreed that enhancing transportation readiness is critical for the timely arrival of U.S. reinforcements in a contingency scenario. They committed to expanding joint transportation drills and improving the interoperability of logistics systems across land, air, and sea.
General Reed, who arrived in South Korea on June 8, is visiting the region to strengthen ties with key Indo-Pacific partners and assess logistical cooperation. His visit marks the first time in over a decade — since 2012 — that a head of U.S. TRANSCOM has visited South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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