The commander of U.S. Forces Korea(USFK) said South Korea and the United States signed a new joint wartime operations plan last year to counter evolving military threats from North Korea. 

Xavier Brunson revealed the information in a written statement for a hearing at the U.S. House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, saying the allies took a significant step forward in their combat readiness when the new combined operations plan was signed. 

The plan is a classified military strategy that assumes wartime scenarios on the Korean Peninsula, with South Korea-U.S. joint exercises being conducted based on this plan.

In the statement, released Wednesday, the USFK chief said the new plan will enable the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command to better prepare for potential military conflicts and respond to evolving threats from the North’s weapons of mass destruction and missile capabilities.

Brunson, who also leads the United Nations Command, said that over the past few years, alliance planners worked diligently to develop the plan.

He added that it has been constantly tested and validated through the South Korea-U.S. combined exercises Freedom Shield and Ulchi Freedom Shield.