"The new joint division is expected to improve the Seoul-Washington joint deterrence posture and boost our military's capabilities to carry out joint operations," the statement said.
According to the statement, the division, scheduled to be established in first half 2015, will bring together the troops of the US 2nd Infantry Division stationed north of the South Korean capital, and a brigade from Seoul.
The joint unit’s tasks have not been disclosed yet, but Yonhap said it would be specialize in eliminating weapons of mass destruction and carrying out North Korean civil missions.
South Korea is home to some 28,500 US troops, including US Army, Air Force, Naval Forces and Special Operations Command military personnel. The United States has kept its military in South Korea since the 1950-53 Korean War, resulting in the division of the peninsula into Communist North Korea and the pro-Western South.
Source: Yonhap
File Photo: F-16 Fighting Falcons demonstrate an “Elephant Walk” as they taxi down the flight line at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, December 14, 2012. The Elephant Walk was a demonstration of U.S. and South Korean Air Force capabilities and strength. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jonathan Fowler)
