A former commander of the U.S. Forces Korea said on Wednesday that the United States and South Korea need to increase "military pressure" on North Korea in response to the North's recent provocations.

Vincent Brooks, who headed the USFK from 2016 and 2018, made the remarks during a virtual seminar hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 

Brooks said that he would be seeking ways to increase pressure with the military instrument, while at the same time not foreclosing the necessary engagement that North Korea seems to have closed the door on, but really hasn't yet. 

He added that the ways to increase military pressure would mean things like announcing that the U.S. will lift the embargo on bringing strategic assets onto the Korean Peninsula, which hasn't happened since spring 2018.

Brooks also said that nuclear capable bombers, F-35 joint strike fighters, aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, all these things are options to simply show presence.

In addition, he said that now is a good time to go through with combined military exercises between the two allies, adding the exercises would no longer be a matter that the allies would discuss with North Korea, or that the North will have any influence over hereafter.