The chief U.S. military official in the nation has reportedly said the U.S. could proactively support a strong response by the South Korean military in the case of a North Korean provocation.

According to a Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official, Commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Army General James D. Thurman attended the South Korean JCS's assessment of its operational situations. The South Korean officials briefed General Thurman on the posture of South Korean forces and the recent movements in the North Korean military.

The Chairman of the JCS, South Korean Army General Jung Seung-jo, evaluated the strategic situation on Wednesday, the day that marks the one-year anniversary of North Korea’s shelling of the border island of Yeonpyeong. Monitoring the military’s combat-readiness with General Thurman, Jung said that the joint evaluation shows the North the commitment between South Korea and its allies to act quickly and sternly in punishing the North for any provocations.

Generals Jung and Thurman signed a preliminary paper on developing a joint counter-provocation plan between South Korea and the U.S.