Yoon: "No Emphasis Is Too Much on Strong ROK-US Deterrence" (Comprehensive)

Visit to USFK Pyeongtaek Base (Camp Humphreys) on the 7th

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol visited Camp Humphreys on the 7th. Photo by the Office of the President-elect Spokesperson

[Asia Economy Reporter Bu Aeri] President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol visited the U.S. Forces Korea Pyeongtaek Base (Camp Humphreys) on the 7th to strengthen the solidarity of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and express his determination to enhance the response posture against North Korean nuclear threats.

On the day, President-elect Yoon departed from Seongnam Seoul Airport and visited Camp Humphreys by helicopter, where he met with Paul LaCamera, Commander of U.S. Forces Korea and Combined Forces Command, and Kim Seung-gyeom, Deputy Commander of the Combined Forces Command, to inspect the South Korea-U.S. joint defense posture and exchange views on the alliance and security situation on the Korean Peninsula.

President-elect Yoon said, "The first unit I visited as president-elect is Camp Humphreys, the heart of the South Korea-U.S. military alliance," adding, "In the very severe international situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches, the strong deterrence through the South Korea-U.S. military alliance and joint defense posture cannot be emphasized enough."

He continued, "The freedom and prosperity we enjoy today in the Republic of Korea were made possible by the dedication and sacrifice of countless predecessors and comrades."

Commander LaCamera stated, "I believe it is dereliction of duty not to fulfill our role for the stability of the Korean Peninsula," emphasizing the importance of the iron-clad alliance between South Korea and the U.S. He also expressed gratitude to the Korean people who made the establishment of Camp Humphreys possible, according to spokesperson Bae Hyun-jin.

Afterwards, President-elect Yoon toured the Armistice Agreement Pavilion and held a conversation with General Burresson, Commander of the U.S. Eighth Army, and Sopji, Chief of the Planning and Management Staff, then shared a meal with South Korea-U.S. troops at the soldiers' dining hall, engaging in a relaxed dialogue.

Meanwhile, although former Presidents Park Geun-hye, Lee Myung-bak, and the late Roh Moo-hyun visited the Yongsan U.S. Combined Forces Command during their president-elect periods, it is unusual for a president-elect to visit the U.S. Forces Korea base in Pyeongtaek.

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