US General Backs Plans To Slash Outposts Along Korean Border

The Commander of US forces in South Korea is backing plans to reduce the number of outposts along the Korean Border, although he says "there is risk involved".

With relations improving between Governments in Seoul and Pyongyang, South Korea is also scaling down its military presence along the border, in the expectation it will build trust between the two nations.

10 border posts are expected to go under the plans which mark the first step of military scaling down along the border since fighting ended in 1953.

General Vincent Brooks told reporters: "Closing up guard posts is a good example of a tension-reducing measure that can also help to build some degree of trust – there is risk involved in it.

"The military demarcation line as it is has prevented the resumption of hostilities and the reduction of these first sets (sets of outposts) between North and South Korea, both sides of the line, may help to reduce tension and the potential for an incident occurring."

In April, North and South Korea promised to work towards the "complete denuclearisation" of the Korean Peninsula.

As part of this, the US pledged to suspending military training exercises with South Korea in the South. However, General Brooks said they will "remain ready".

"As a military Commander, I’m expected to deal with change and uncertainty in stride and find ways to create new solutions to the same problems. And this is no exception," General Brooks explained.

"So if this means we're not going to be training the same way, we’ll train a different way but we are going to remain ready."

Currently 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea – a legacy of the Korean War which ended in 1953 with north and south of the country divided and still technically at war.