Senior U.S. Marine visits S. Korea for allied drills

SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- A senior U.S. Marine official joined ongoing joint exercises with South Korea on Wednesday and also had talks with Seoul officials over bilateral cooperation, according to the Marine Corps here.

Lt. Gen. William M. Jurney, commander of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, arrived here Tuesday on a four-day trip for the allies' Freedom Shield (FS) command post training and their Ssangyong amphibious landing practice.

He met with South Korean Marine Corps Commandant Lt. Gen. Kim Gye-hwan to discuss cooperation on security in the Indo-Pacific region, according to the armed service.

"The visit to Korea by the commander of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, shows the resolve of the South Korean and U.S. Marine Corps to safeguard peace, and we will further strengthen the combined defense posture based on the solid alliance," Kim was quoted as saying.

The same day, Jurney visited key South Korean Marine units in Pohang, 272 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and confirmed the "overwhelming" forces of the alliance, the Marine Corps said. The units included the 1st Marine Division and the Marine Aircraft Group.

sshluck@yna.co.kr
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