Commander Of US And UN Forces In Korea Discusses Korean War Anniversary In Visit To The East-West Center

Honolulu, May 15, 2025

Deterrence and diplomacy are critical to the mission of maintaining peace in Northeast Asia, Gen. Xavier T. Brunson, commander of United Nations Command, said Wednesday during a visit to the East-West Center.

The Center hosted Brunson, the four-star general who has served as commander of UN Command, the ROK/US Combined Forces Command, and US Forces Korea since December 2024, for a private roundtable discussion ahead of two upcoming milestones: the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950 and the creation of the UN Command a month later.

“For over 75 years, something that was begun with a UN Security Council resolution has managed to stand, and it’s protected the peace,” Gen. Brunson said in highlighting the importance of the UN Command in deterring aggression in the region.

Coinciding with the Center’s own 65th anniversary on May 14, the event was attended by approximately 60 invited guests and featured keynote remarks by Gen. Brunson and welcome remarks from Gen. Seo Young Lee, South Korea’s consul general in Honolulu. East-West Center Presidential Chair Jean H. Lee moderated the discussion with Gen. Brunson and Timothy Martin, Seoul Bureau Chief for The Wall Street Journal.

Brunson emphasized that in today’s interconnected world, US relationships in the Indo-Pacific are multidimensional by necessity. “What we find increasingly across the Indo-Pacific is that we don’t have the luxury of being binary in any way, shape, or form, because our economies are entwined,” he said. “And where economics lie, the livelihoods of the people … are also impacted and affected.”

Gen. Brunson also addressed the shifting relationships among China, Russia, and North Korea, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation in the current security environment.

Although fighting between North and South Korea ended with an armistice in 1953, the conflict is still considered ongoing in the absence of a formal peace treaty. The Korean War’s 75th anniversary also comes at a critical moment for South Korea, which will hold a snap election on June 3rd in the wake of the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his declaration of martial law in December.

The discussion with Gen. Brunson was supported by the First Hawaiian Lecture Series Fund, established by First Hawaiian Bank to provide a forum at the East-West Center for dialogue on key international issues and new ideas. In his remarks, Gen. Brunson emphasized the importance of such conversations to the security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific.

“Dialogue is absolutely crucial in this region,” he said. “It’s by dialogue that policy is informed; it’s by dialogue that strategies are formulated. … And if we can see things, if we can sense things, if we can understand things better, then we can take the appropriate actions that help all boats in the region to rise.”

The East-West Center promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Established by the US Congress in 1960, the Center serves as a resource for information and analysis on critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to exchange views, build expertise, and develop policy options.

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