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Gen. Robert Adams, commander of US Forces Korea Command
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Gen. Robert Abrams’ SDD attendance a signal that S. Korea-US alliance still healthy
Gen. Robert Abrams, the commander of the Combined Forces Command and US Forces Korea Command, will reportedly be the US’ representative at the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD), a multilateral Asia-Pacific security meeting held by the South Korean Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Sept. 4–6. Abrams recently communicated to MND that he planned to attend the SDD opening ceremony on Sept. 4 at Seoul’s Lotte Hotel, ministry officials said on Sept. 2. It was also reported that Abrams would attending a dinner event in addition to the opening ceremony, although it was not confirmed whether he would be meeting separately with South Korean military officials. The SDD, which marks its eighth rendition this year, was launched in 2012 as a vice minister-level multilateral security discussion body to contribute to multilateral security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region and the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula. Defense officials and experts from over 50 countries and five international organizations are expected to attend this year. Each year, the US has sent an assistant secretary of defense, USFK commander, or other security official as a representative at the event. Its attendee last year was Russell Schriver, the assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs. Previously, the failure to finalize the attendance of a US representative as of MND’s distribution of a press release regarding the event on Aug. 29 raised questions about whether the omission was a reflection of the delicate frictions between South Korea and the US over the recent termination of the South Korea-Japan General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA). The attendance of Abrams himself reads as a signal that there are no current issues with the South Korea-US alliance or relations. While the deputy commander of USFK has attended the event as a representative in the past, this marks the first time a commander will be participating in the SDD. The theme of this year’s SDD is “Building Peace Together: Challenges and Visions.” At a special section on the results of Korean Peninsula arms controls and directions for development, participants including Lee Sang-cheol, former first vice director of the National Security Office, and Daniel Prins, chief of the conventions arms branch of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, will be attending to discuss ideas for reducing military tensions on the peninsula. By Yoo Kang-moon, senior staff writer Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
