U.S. Army General James Thurman was inaugurated Thursday in Seoul as the new commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) and the South Korea- U.S. Combined Forces Command.

At the inauguration ceremony held at the U.S. military base in Seoul, the new Commander vowed to continue strengthening the South Korea-U.S. alliance, saying that the ties have been honed and sharpened since it was formed through the Korean War.

Thurman also stressed that the two countries' alliance stands ready to counter any provocation intended to destabilize the Korean Peninsula, and pledged to maintain a well-trained and well-equipped force.

At the ceremony, Defense Minister Kim Kwanjin introduced Commander Thurman as a renowned leader of modern warfare, having fought in the Iraq war.

General Walter Sharp, who took office in South Korea in June 2008, will return to the U.S., where he will be honorably discharged in September.