▲ U.S. Gen. Xavier Brunson, the new commander of U.S. Forces Korea, gives a salute as he attends a ceremony with Adm. Kim Myung-soo, chairman of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the defense ministry in Seoul on Jan. 9, 2025, to welcome the U.S. leader, who also leads the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson visited the defense ministry Tuesday for a meeting with Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the military to scale down a regular combined exercise with South Korea.

Brunson was spotted by some reporters entering the ministry headquarters in Yongsan in central Seoul and later leaving the place.

When asked by reporters about the purpose of his visit, Brunson declined to comment, only indicating that he came to meet with Ahn.

Trump's call coincided with the start of the allies' Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise on Monday (Seoul time), scheduled for an 11-day run through Aug. 27. The drills are largely aimed at staging drills for contingencies against North Korea.

Trump said he had ordered the scaling down of the exercise, citing a cost burden and his good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

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