LOC12:23
09:23 GMT
TOKYO, Jan 4 (KUNA) -- The commanding general of US Forces Korea (USFK) on Thursday stressed the importance of combat readiness and unity among regional powers to cope with North Korea's recent peace offensive, Yonhap News Agency reported.
"We can be generally pleased by the recent overtures that happened. But we must keep our expectations at the appropriate level," General Vincent K. Brooks, who leads the 28,500-strong USFK, was quoted as saying in a lecture at Seoul Cyber University. He was referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's New Year's Day statement that his country is willing to join the Winter Olympics, which open in the South Korean town of Pyeongchang next month. He proposed immediate inter-Korean dialogue to discuss the issue.
The two Koreas reconnected a cross-border communication channel Wednesday, two years after it was severed, and are preparing to hold high-level talks. This may represent Pyongyang's "sincere" pursuit of reconciliation, but it may also be in line with its typical strategy of dividing the five countries -- South Korea, the US, China, Japan and Russia -- as part of efforts to gain the status of a "nuclear capable" nation, according to the commander.
Brooks also said his troops are trying to "stay ready and stay steady while providing room for diplomacy and economic actions to take effect led by our national leaders," serving shoulder to shoulder with South Korean soldiers.
The 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas technically at war. (end)
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