Diplomacy Journal David Kendall | Multiple Korean news outlets are covering contradictory statements released by the offices of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander General Xavier Brunson and the Republic of Korea's Ministry of National Defense (MND).
According to a February 25 Korea Times article, the controversy arose "from a large-scale U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) drill conducted Feb. 18 and 19 from Osan Air Base, during which U.S. fighter jets carried out more than 100 sorties over waters west of the Korean Peninsula. Chinese warplanes also scrambled in response, leading to a short aerial standoff between the two sides."
ROK Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-Back, having been briefed on the situation, reportedly protested directly to Commander Brunson by phone on February 19, according to a February 24 Munhwa Ilbo report (KOR).
Both sides have stated that USFK gave prior notice to the ROK MND. They disagree over whether sufficient time for assessment was provided, and whether a subsequent apology from the USFK was for conducting the exercise without formal MND approval or simply failing to provide adequate notice.
A USFK statement that appeared in the Munhwa Ilbo report read: "We express regret that the training details were not communicated in a timely manner after receiving the Minister's protest … We do not apologize regarding the maintenance of our military readiness posture."
That article also quoted a USFK official as saying, "USFK properly notified South Korean military authorities about the West Sea training. The apology expressed regret that the notification was not delivered to the Minister of National Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a timely manner."
ROK MND spokesperson Chung Binna said, "As for whether advance notice was provided, we do not comment on each individual claim," according to The Korea Times. "Officials nonetheless acknowledged that Ahn had made a protest call to Brunson and that USFK halted the exercise earlier than scheduled following those calls — details that have fueled questions about whether prior coordination had been sufficient."
