Defense Secretary James N. Mattis and South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo co-hosted a historic 50th annual Security Consultative Meeting at the Pentagon Oct. 31.
The talks focused on increasing interoperability between the U.S. and South Korea. In a joint statement, the leaders said the annual meeting has played a critical role over the past half century in deterring war on the Korean Peninsula and developing the South Korean-U.S. alliance.
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There are 28,500 U.S. service members based in South Korea ready to “fight tonight” if North Korea invades.
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The South Korean military has 625,000 active-duty service members and 5.2 million reservists.
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The South Korean military is one of the most modern in the world and boasts impressive firepower. South Korea has more than 1,500 aircraft. The country also has about 750 helicopters.
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South Korean soldiers fought alongside American forces during the Vietnam War, losing 5,099 service members.
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Combined Forces Command, at
Camp Humphreys, South Korea, seamlessly integrates American and South Korean personnel. The CFC commander, Army Gen. Vincent Brooks, has wartime control of more than 600,000 troops from both countries.