Military

Release No. 030504 

USFK FORCE ENHANCEMENT INITIATIVES

SEOUL, Republic of Korea (USFK) May 31, 2003--Gen. Leon J. LaPorte, Commander United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, U.S. Forces Korea, met with Cho, Young-kil, Minister of National Defense and Gen. Kim, Jong Hwan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to discuss future force enhancements for U.S. Forces in Korea.

During the meeting, Gen. LaPorte discussed the operational requirement for both ROK and US capability improvements to enhance Combined Forces Command's capability to deter aggression and to guarantee the security of the Republic of Korea. Gen. LaPorte then highlighted plans for U.S. capability enhancements to be implemented over the next three years.

"These enhancements represent a more than $11 billion U.S. investment in peninsula security and regional stability" said Gen. LaPorte. "Our upgrades in capabilities demonstrate our firm U.S. commitment to the long-standing ROK-U.S. alliance."

Gen. LaPorte outlined several near-term enhancements during his meetings with Minister Cho and Gen. Kim including upgrades to the intelligence collection systems, increased numbers of improved precision munitions, rotational deployment of the Army's newest Stryker unit to improve responsiveness, and additions to Army pre-positioned stocks to increase readiness to defend the Republic of Korea.

Minister Cho, Gen. Kim, and Gen. LaPorte agreed that enhancing both the Republic of Korea and U.S. deterrence military capabilities is critical to ensure the ROK-U.S. alliance is postured to meet the requirements of the future. They also agreed to continue consultations as near term enhancements are implemented on the Korean peninsula and plans for long-term force enhancements are developed.