The commander of United States Forces Korea(USFK) has expressed regret to South Korea regarding the recent U.S. Air Force drill over the Yellow Sea.

USFK said in a statement on Tuesday that Gen. Xavier Brunson had told South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back over the phone that he regretted that the minister and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff had not been briefed on the drill in time. 

The statement came after U.S. and Chinese fighter jets engaged in a rare standoff over the Yellow Sea during a U.S. Air Force training operation last week.

Military sources told Yonhap News Agency that Ahn had protested the drill during a call with Brunson last Thursday, complaining that the general had failed to share the exercise details in advance.

The commander, however, reaffirmed during the phone call that prior notification had been provided to South Korea.
 
USFK said it conducts regular training to maintain the highest level of readiness and ensure it can fulfill its mission, adding that it doesn’t apologize for maintaining that readiness.