Ulaanbaatar: The commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) has highlighted the need for deeper multinational cooperation among U.S. allies and partners during his first inspection of a key peacekeeping exercise in Mongolia that also involved South Korean troops.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Gen. Xavier Brunson, who also serves as the commander of the Combined Forces Command (CFC) and the United Nations Command, visited the training site for the Khaan Quest exercise near Ulaanbaatar on Tuesday. The Khaan Quest began as a bilateral exercise between the Mongolian Armed Forces and U.S. Marine Forces Pacific before growing into a multinational peacekeeping exercise involving U.S. allies and partners in the Pacific region.

While observing the troops, Brunson engaged with a contingent of the South Korean Marine Corps and stressed the importance of their participation and the broader mission of the exercise, the USFK said. "In his capacity as the CFC commander, Gen. Brunson met with ROK Marines and observed how they are participating in a multinational peacekeeping operations exercise, while strengthening interoperability with allies and partners," a USFK official stated. ROK is short for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.

During the visit, Brunson observed training events, including counter-unmanned aerial system training that is becoming a critical field in the modern operational environment, the USFK noted. This year's exercise is taking place from June 20 to July 3, bringing together more than 1,000 military personnel from 18 countries, including South Korea, India, and Germany. Its main focus is to enhance interoperability and readiness for peace support operations under the U.N. Charter, such as in humanitarian crises and protecting civilians.

South Korea has participated in Khaan Quest since 2006, with its Army and the Marine Corps taking turns attending annually since 2014, except for a two-year pause during the COVID-19 pandemic.