The commander of U.S. Forces Korea(USFK) has stressed the need for the continued presence of U.S. troops in South Korea to counter threats from China and Russia. 

Xavier Brunson expressed the view on Thursday during the 2025 Land Forces Pacific Symposium and Exhibition, organized by the Association of the U.S. Army in Hawaii. 

Brunson said the U.S. forces stationed in South Korea play a major role in overcoming what he called the “tyranny of distance” that complicates military operations in the vast Indo-Pacific region.
    
The USFK chief emphasized the strategic importance of South Korea’s geographic location, saying the country is the U.S. ally that lies closest to Beijing and likening South Korea to an island or a stationary aircraft carrier floating between Japan and the Chinese mainland.

Brunson continued that the USFK presence changes the calculus of the North Korean, Russian and Chinese leadership, imposes costs, and provides options for U.S. senior officials and leaders in any conflict. 
    
He added that USFK is not solely focused on defeating North Korea, and that as a small part of a larger Indo-Pacific strategy, it is also focused on operations, activities and investments in the region.