The U.S. Department of Defense said that it will closely communicate with South Korea regarding Seoul’s plan to establish a new military command in charge of special operations to enhance deterrence against growing North Korean threats.  

Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Ryder issued the position during a regular press briefing on Tuesday when asked about the planned command.

The spokesperson said that while the establishment of the command is a decision for the South Korean government, Washington will maintain close communication with Seoul on the matter.  

Ryder also said that as close allies, South Korea and the United States are closely cooperating on a wide range of regional security issues across the Indo-Pacific, including the defense of the Korean Peninsula.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff and the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command plan to conduct verification for the creation of the strategic command during the allies’ Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, set for Monday through August 29.

The strategic command, which will be created under the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the second half of the year, will serve as an overarching organ to deter and respond to a North Korean nuclear or weapons of mass destruction (WMD) attack, utilizing key military assets from high-power ballistic missiles to special operations forces.