Alliance stronger due to N. Korea's belligerence: US Pacific Fleet chief

The commander of the US Pacific Fleet said Tuesday his forces will continue to deploy formidable defense assets to or near the Korean Peninsula in order to show Washington's security commitment here with "actions."

Adm. Scott Swift, commander of the US Pacific Fleet (Yonhap)

Adm. Scott Swift stressed that his fleet is responsible for nearly 60 percent of US Navy assets amid the "Third Fleet Forward" initiative. It calls for ships of the San Diego-based fleet to participate in missions in the Western Pacific covered by the Seventh Fleet.

"If there's a desire to have another carrier and there's a desire to have more ships, more submarines, we have the capability and capacity to support that direction," if it's given by senior policymakers, he said in an interview at the US military base in Yongsan, central Seoul.

His remarks reflect the "ironclad" alliance between Seoul and Washington in the face of the North's provocations, most recently a sixth nuclear test on the weekend.

The admiral characterized the North's acts as "self-destructive."

South Korea has requested the regular deployment of such high-profile 
US assets as flattops, nuclear submarines and long-range bombers to the peninsula.

He pointed out that it's a decision to be made by policymakers and his mission is to get options ready as a commander in charge of around 200 ships and submarines, 1,180 aircraft and more than 140,000 sailors. (Yonhap)