Seoul offers no response to US Eighth Army commander remarks on broader USFK role

The Seoul government did not comment Thursday on U.S. Eighth Army commander Lt. Gen. Joseph Hilbert’s remarks that troops stationed in South Korea should be ready for missions beyond the Korean Peninsula. Cheong Wa Dae, the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff declined to respond to his interview about broader regional operations. Sources said the silence reflected reluctance to interpret his remarks publicly, not an articulated government position. Whether deployments beyond the peninsula would require prior Seoul-Washington consultation remains unclear.

Hilbert told the South China Morning Post on Wednesday that it would be “irresponsible to focus myopically” on threats within the Korean Peninsula.

Hilbert said the Eighth Army views readiness as largely threat-agnostic and can apply a trained, ready force against whatever threat is required.

The article said broader USFK flexibility could allow troops stationed in South Korea to undertake missions elsewhere, including in a potential Taiwan Strait conflict, although Hilbert did not explicitly mention China or Taiwan.

Washington has called on Seoul to take more responsibility for deterring North Korea while seeking greater flexibility for USFK.

Published Oct 22, 2026 6:10 pm KST

Lt. Gen. Joseph Hilbert, commander of the U.S. Eighth Army, speaks at a change-of-command ceremony for the 2nd Infantry Division and Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Division at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Oct. 7. Yonhap

The Seoul government held off on responding Thursday to remarks by the U.S. Eighth Army commander suggesting that American troops stationed here should be prepared for missions beyond countering North Korean threats.

Cheong Wa Dae, the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) did not comment when asked about Lt. Gen. Joseph Hilbert’s email interview with the South China Morning Post on the Eighth Army’s readiness for broader regional operations.

According to sources familiar with the South Korean military, the lack of comment reflected a reluctance to publicly interpret Hilbert’s remarks, rather than an articulated government position on a broader U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) role.

The sources noted whether deployments beyond the Korean Peninsula would require prior consultation between Seoul and Washington has yet to be clarified.

In an email interview published by the South China Morning Post on Wednesday, Hilbert said it would be “irresponsible to focus myopically” on threats within the Korean Peninsula or assume that being stationed in South Korea prevented his troops from undertaking other missions.

“We view readiness as largely threat-agnostic. If we have a trained, ready force capable of executing the Army’s assigned missions, we can apply that force against whatever threat is required,” he said.

Hilbert’s comments drew attention to a potentially broader regional role for USFK as Washington seeks greater flexibility to counter China while calling on Seoul to take more responsibility for deterring North Korea.

That shift could allow American troops stationed in South Korea to undertake missions elsewhere, including in a potential Taiwan Strait conflict, although Hilbert did not explicitly mention China or Taiwan.

周四，首尔政府未对美国第八集团军司令约瑟夫·希尔伯特中将关于驻韩美军应做好执行朝鲜半岛以外任务的言论发表评论。青瓦台、国防部和联合参谋本部均拒绝回应希尔伯特关于更广泛区域行动的采访。消息人士称，这种沉默反映出政府不愿公开解读希尔伯特的言论，而非其明确立场。目前尚不清楚向朝鲜半岛以外地区部署兵力是否需要事先与首尔和华盛顿进行磋商。

希尔伯特周三告诉《南华早报》，如果只关注朝鲜半岛内部的威胁，那就是“不负责任的”。

希尔伯特表示，第八集团军认为战备在很大程度上与威胁无关，可以根据需要部署训练有素、随时待命的部队来应对任何威胁。

文章称，驻韩美军拥有更大的灵活性，可以执行其他任务，包括应对潜在的台海冲突，尽管希尔伯特没有明确提及中国或台湾。

华盛顿呼吁首尔承担更多遏制朝鲜的责任，同时寻求给予驻韩美军更大的灵活性。

发布于2026年10月22日 下午6:10（韩国标准时间）

10月7日，美国第八集团军司令约瑟夫·希尔伯特中将在京畿道平泽市汉弗莱斯营举行的美韩联合师第二步兵师指挥权交接仪式上发表讲话。（韩联社）

周四，美国第八集团军司令表示，驻韩美军应该做好准备，执行除应对朝鲜威胁之外的其他任务。对此，首尔政府暂未作出回应。

当被问及约瑟夫·希尔伯特中将接受《南华早报》电子邮件采访，谈及第八集团军在更广泛的区域作战中的准备情况时，青瓦台、国防部和联合参谋本部均未发表评论。

据熟悉韩国军方的消息人士称，韩国军方未对此发表评论，反映出他们不愿公开解读希尔伯特的言论，而不是韩国政府对驻韩美军（USFK）更广泛的角色所明确表态。

消息人士指出，向朝鲜半岛以外地区部署兵力是否需要首尔和华盛顿事先磋商，目前尚不明确。

希尔伯特在周三《南华早报》发表的一封电子邮件采访中表示，如果只关注朝鲜半岛内部的威胁，或者认为驻扎在韩国会阻止他的部队执行其他任务，那将是“不负责任的”。

他说：“我们认为战备在很大程度上与威胁无关。如果我们拥有一支训练有素、随时待命的部队，能够执行陆军分配的任务，我们就可以运用这支部队应对任何需要应对的威胁。”

希尔伯特的评论引起了人们对驻韩美军可能扮演更广泛的地区角色的关注，因为华盛顿正在寻求更大的灵活性来对抗中国，同时呼吁首尔承担更多遏制朝鲜的责任。

这一转变可能使驻韩美军能够在其他地方执行任务，包括潜在的台海冲突，尽管希尔伯特没有明确提及中国或台湾。