South Korea: During his visit to the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command (CFC) on Tuesday, South Korea’s defense minister, Ahn Gyu-back, urged a strong preparedness posture amid a changing security environment, according to the ministry.

According to the ministry, Ahn also met with US Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson, who also serves as the CFC commander, while visiting the CFC at Camp Humphreys, a significant US post in Pyeongtaek some 60 kilometers south of Seoul.

According to Yonhap news agency, Ahn called for efforts to quickly implement agreements reached by their leaders during summit talks in October and an annual security meeting by the allies’ defense chiefs the following month. He also mentioned how his visit to the command—his first on-site inspection of the year—shows the importance of the allies’ combined defense posture.

The two nations’ defense chiefs decided to “expedite” the execution of criteria for the transfer of wartime operational authority from Washington to Seoul, which South Korea aims to accomplish by 2030, at the Security Consultative Meeting in November.

According to the ministry, Ahn referred to the CFC as the “heart” of the South Korean-US alliance and urged for a resolute combat readiness posture in a security environment that is changing quickly.In order to strengthen their joint defense posture and maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, I hope the CFC plays a key role in 2026,” he said.

According to the ministry, Kim also praised American and South Korean forces for their efforts to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula in a New Year’s address.