Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Korea-U.S. senior officers growing together

Lieutenant General Park Sam-deuk, the president of National Defense University (NDU), opened a “Korea-U.S. combined operational education course” on April 15, targeting Korean and American senior officers. It is the first time to have an education course for both colonel-level officers since NDU was established. Prior to this, there was a well-received working-level combined operational education course for lieutenant colonel and major level officers last year. A week-long working-level education course will be opened again on April 21.

Ten Korean and six American colonels attended the course. They will form a Korea-U.S. mutual consensus, strengthen the relationship, and raise practical combined operational capability through the course, which continues through this Thursday, the 17th. In addition, they not only understand both countries’ major security issues and strategic environment but also introduce each defense policy so that they can broaden and deepen their understanding of the Korea-U.S. command system and direction for wartime control changeover.

During the course, Major General Mark W. Yenter, a deputy chief of staff for operations, will give a lecture about the U.S. national security and defense policy, and the former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Han Min-gu, will introduce Korean history, culture and security consciousness. Moreover, there are high-level lectures related to Korea defense policy and the Korean Peninsula theater of operations system prepared by professors of NDU.

NDU President Park Sam-deuk said, “Last year, we opened the first working-level course for lieutenant colonel and major level officers and deepened our understanding of each other regarding major security issues and concerns. I hope that this education course, too, will be a precious time for understanding Korean history, culture and development as well as improving the Korea-U.S. combined operation capability.”

By Yeong-Sun, Lee < vs119@dema.mil.kr >
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