Next U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Responds "Monitoring" When Asked About Deployment of Strategic Assets on the Korean Peninsula

"Support for US Military Diplomatic Efforts"
"Unable to Disclose Detailed Factors for Strategic Asset Deployment"

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Charles Brown, the next Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force and Commander of the U.S. Pacific Air Forces, avoided giving a direct answer when asked whether strategic assets would be deployed in relation to the situation on the Korean Peninsula, stating that he is monitoring the situation.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

On the 23rd (local time), Commander Brown said this during a phone conference with Asian media regarding military tensions originating from North Korea and questions about the deployment of B-52 bombers. He said, "I cannot provide details about what would actually bring (the deployment of strategic assets)," adding, "One of the things we do is pay close attention to what is unfolding."

Commander Brown explained, "We spend time reviewing activities and changes in activities, always evaluating. We have done this to remain vigilant in the past, especially in 2017 and afterward," and added, "This leads to calculations that determine whether to recommend deploying certain assets or not, while supporting diplomatic efforts."

Seeming to be aware of the recent situation on the Korean Peninsula, he said, "Local events have recently changed along with some actions by North Korea," and stated, "We will continue to pay close attention and make recommendations based on that." However, he explained that such decisions would not be made solely by the military but would be part of a U.S. government-level approach.

Regarding the full resumption of the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, he said, "I will defer to the Commander of U.S. Forces Korea." On this matter, he explained, "We (the U.S. military) are supporting diplomatic negotiations," and "This person is a factor in the decision-making process regarding the exercises."

Concerning the South Korea-U.S. defense cost-sharing agreement, he drew a line by saying it is an area for the State Department to negotiate. However, he mentioned, "From a military perspective, I believe the (South Korea-U.S.) alliance is strong."

Commander Brown is the first African American to be appointed as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, having been unanimously confirmed on the 10th. Currently, only the official appointment process remains.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.