hankyoreh

U.S. troops stationed in South Korea are expanding their scope of operations by joining a military drill with troops from Singapore.

On January 21, the U.S. Air Force said that F-16 fighter jets stationed at South Korea’s U.S. Air Force Base in Gunsan will join a war game in Singapore, named the "Commando Sling," which is scheduled to be held in May.

The U.S. and Singaporean air forces held a joint drill in October last year and another joint military exercise, held annually between the two countries since 1990, is now underway until January 26.

In addition, it was confirmed that South Korea-based members of the U.S. Air Force had joined a large-scale war game, named ‘Cobra Gold,’ with Thailand, Singapore, and Japan from May 15 to May 26 last year.

South Korea-based U.S. forces have frequently participated in military exercises with other U.S. troops in Hawaii or Guam, but it is rare for U.S. troops in South Korea to join in war games with a third country. Experts say such a rare move stems from Washington’s expansion of the strategic flexibility of U.S. troops in South Korea, in line with an agreement between the two nations in January. The agreement allows U.S. troops in South Korea to be dispatched outside the Korean peninsula if an emergency situation occurs elsewhere in the world.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]