USFK commander expresses support for S. Korea's military reforms

SEOUL, May 17 (Yonhap) -- The top U.S. commander in South Korea voiced support for Seoul's move to reform its top military command structure and promised his cooperation, a South Korean official said Tuesday. Gen. Walter Sharp, commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), made the remarks after South Korea's Defense Ministry held a briefing on the military reforms last week, the official said on the condition of anonymity. South Korea unveiled a series of military reforms in March in response to North Korea's two deadly attacks on the South last year. The reforms call for the military to streamline its top command structure and drastically increase fire power. "After the briefing, Gen. Sharp said that he understands a lot about the overhaul of the Korean military's top command structure and expressed support," the official said. One of the central parts of the reform measures is aimed at strengthening the role of the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman to enhance the interoperability of its armed services. The South's military has been under growing calls to improve interoperability among the Army, Navy and Air Force to better respond to North Korean provocations. Last year, North Korea sank a South Korean warship and bombarded a southern border island, leaving 50 people, including two civilians, dead. About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War.