US troops in South Korea must be ready for missions beyond peninsula, commander says

AI Summary

The commander of the US Eighth Army in South Korea said troops should be prepared for missions beyond the Korean peninsula if ordered. Lieutenant General Joe Hilbert said the army's broader readiness does not diminish its commitment to the US-South Korea mutual defense treaty.

The commander of the US Eighth Army in South Korea said his troops must be ready for deployment outside the Korean peninsula if ordered, arguing that it would be “irresponsible” to focus “myopically” on threats there. Lieutenant General Joe Hilbert said that while his command’s focus was on fulfilling US commitments under its mutual defence treaty with Seoul, the Eighth Army’s location did not limit the missions it could undertake. It would be “irresponsible to focus myopically” on threats on...