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USFK denies commander apologized over aerial standoff with China during drill

Published: 25 Feb. 2026, 14:54

U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson, left, leaves after a meeting with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Jan. 26. [YONHAP]

U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) on Tuesday denied reports that its commander apologized to Korea's defense minister over a recent Yellow Sea air drill that prompted a standoff with Chinese fighter jets, saying he had only “expressed regret” and did not apologize for maintaining readiness.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back had lodged a protest with the commander after the brief aerial encounter last week, saying detailed plans for the drills were not shared with the Korean military.

USFK issued a statement at around 10 p.m. Tuesday after local media reported that Gen. Xavier Brunson had personally apologized to Ahn during a phone call over the exercise.

"U.S. Forces Korea conducts regular training to maintain the highest level of readiness and ensure it can fulfill its mission. We don't make apologies for maintaining readiness," it said.

Brunson told Ahn that Korea had been notified in advance of the exercise that took place on Feb. 18 and 19 over international waters in the Yellow Sea, according to USFK.

He "expressed regret that [the minister] and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were not briefed in time," USFK said.

The drill involved dozens of F-16 fighter jets assigned to the U.S. Seventh Air Force, with a U.S. B-52 strategic bomber joining the exercise for the first time. Chinese fighter jets responded as U.S. aircraft approached China’s air defense identification zone, a self-declared area used to monitor incoming aircraft.

Following the exercise, Ahn and Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung held separate coordination calls with Brunson to convey Seoul’s position. Media reports later said Brunson had apologized to Ahn.

Earlier Tuesday, a Ministry of National Defense official told a regular briefing that it would be "inappropriate" to disclose details of the call but said "parts of the media reports were true." The ministry did not directly deny the claim that Brunson had apologized, prompting speculation that it effectively acknowledged the report.

Korean and U.S. officials typically do not disclose the content of bilateral communications without prior agreement. Observers said it was unusual for the ministry to confirm aspects of a call dealing with a sensitive military issue, suggesting the Korean government viewed the matter seriously.

USFK, however, criticized what it described as selective disclosure. "We do not comment on private discussions between senior leaders. Candid dialogue is essential to effective alliance coordination, and selective disclosure — whether accurate or not — does not advance our shared security objectives," it said.

Soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 2nd Infantry Division listen to remarks during a rotation ceremony at Camp Casey in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi, on Feb. 12. [YONHAP]

The exchange comes as Seoul and Washington prepare for the annual Freedom Shield joint exercise. The allies have also differed over how to conduct certain field training components, underscoring signs of friction emerging ahead of the drills.

In its statement, USFK said Brunson shared a professional assessment with the JCS chairman on issues that impact readiness. That appeared to include discussion of the Lee Jae Myung administration’s push to restore the Sept. 19 inter-Korean military agreement, which was signed in 2018 to reduce the risk of military clashes but has since collapsed, and which Washington views as a detriment to readiness.

It was the first time USFK has publicly indicated its stance on the Lee administration’s efforts to restore the military agreement with North Korea.

A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it is "true that the United States holds a negative view of restoring the agreement."

However, USFK has not openly opposed measures such as reinstating no-fly zones and instead conveyed that any steps should minimize the impact on readiness.

During the former Moon Jae-in administration, efforts to implement the Sept. 19 agreement led to friction with USFK and the United Nations Command. Korean and U.S. military authorities have since sought to prevent similar tensions from resurfacing.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY LEE YU-JUNG, YOON JI-WON [[email protected]]