U.S. Eighth Army commander urges forces to prepare for threats beyond Korea

Lt. Gen. Joseph Hilbert, head of the U.S. Eighth Army stationed in South Korea, warned that concentrating only on Korean Peninsula risks ignoring other regional hazards. He described the U.S. approach as "threat-agnostic," insisting that a ready, well-trained force can be redirected to any required mission. Hilbert noted that daily training with South Korean partners targets the primary threat while maintaining the ability to support broader Indo-Pacific deterrence.

The remarks align with the Pentagon’s National Defense Strategy, which calls for more flexible U.S. force postures and greater reliance on South Korean self-defence. A Pentagon official reiterated America’s commitment to the U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty and to defending the Republic of Korea alongside its allies.