US Indo-Pacific Commander calls for 'clear message' to adversaries on cost of aggression

Seoul, January 2 The chief of the US Indo-Pacific Command has called for South Korea and the United States to continue to strengthen their combined defence posture in the new year to send a "clear message" to adversaries on the cost of aggression.

Admiral Samuel Paparo Jr. made the call in a New Year's message as Washington has urged Seoul and other regional allies to contribute to safeguarding the First Island Chain, a key perimeter for America's preeminence against China in the region.

"We must also continue to build a formidable, combined defence, sending a clear message to any adversary that the cost of aggression would be far too great," Paparo said in the message released through the Korea-US Alliance Foundation (KUSAF) and the Korea Defence Veterans Association (KDVA), Yonhap News Agency reported.

The remarks by the top INDOPACOM official came after Beijing mobilized Army, Navy, Air Force and Rocket Force personnel in the Taiwan Strait and other areas surrounding Taiwan earlier this week, in what the Chinese military described as a "stern" warning against "separatist forces" and "external interference."

In response, the US State Department has urged Beijing to stop its military pressure against Taiwan and engage in "meaningful" dialogue.

In the message, Paparo noted how Seoul and Washington have reaffirmed their "ironclad" commitment through bilateral meetings between their leaders, defence chiefs and top military commanders in 2025 and urged the allies to embrace a "path of shared innovation."

"Our shared task is to translate this momentum into decisive action that ensures peace and security of the Korean Peninsula and the broader lndo-Pacific region," he said.

Meanwhile, US Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson thanked the organizations for helping to uphold the "bond that has guided the Alliance for more than seven decades."

"Because of organizations like KUSAF, our Alliance remains strong, relevant, and ready for the challenges ahead," Brunson said.

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