USFK chief to skip Seoul’s Armed Forces Day event

United States Forces Korea (USFK) commander Gen. Robert Abrams is not going to attend the Republic of Korea’s 71st Armed Forces Day event at the Air Force’s 11th Fighter Wing base in Daegu, Tuesday, the Ministry of National Defense’s Armed Forces Day taskforce team said the day before.

“We’ve been notified (from the USFK) that Gen. Abrams would not be able to attend the Armed Forces Day event due to other schedules,” an offi

cial with the taskforce team said. He added that Abrams’ absence was settled from the beginning.

The USFK reportedly cited a meeting among U.S. four-star generals as well as the Association of the United States Army’s 2019 Annual Meeting from Oct. 14 to 16 as a reason.

Abrams was also expected to attend the U.S. Armed Forces Welcome Ceremony for the 20th U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) late Monday (KST). South Korean JCS chairman Gen. Park Han-ki was also visiting Washington D.C., from Sunday to Wednesday to meet his U.S. counterpart Gen. Joseph Dunford, who is set to deliver the command to Gen. Mark Milley at the ceremony.

There had been some media reports in Seoul regarding Abrams’ absence from the Armed Forces Day event that it could signal a possible rift in the South Korea-U.S. alliance. But military officials and experts said it was unlikely as the absence was settled from the beginning of the planning process for the event. The USFK spokesman said they cannot comment on the USFK commander’s schedule.

Instead of Gen. Abrams who also heads the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), CFC Deputy Commander Choi Byunghyuk, a four-star South Korean general, will attend the event.

The attendance of high-ranking U.S. diplomats and military officials at Seoul’s major diplomatic and military events has been drawing media attention amid speculation of rifts in the alliance between Seoul and Washington.

This came after the South Korean government decided not to renew the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) with Japan.

“It was rare for U.S. officials to officially say they were disappointed with Seoul’s decision (on the GSOMIA),” said Cha Du-hyeogn, visiting research fellow at Asan Institute for Policy Studies. He cited such tension between the U.S. and South Korea over Seoul’s decision to end GSOMIA as the reason for such media scrutiny on U.S. officials’ attendance at the South Korean government’s events.