The incoming commander of U.S. Forces Korea said Tuesday South Korea has been shouldering a "significant load" of the costs for the stationing of American troops in the country, rejecting Donald Trump's claims that Seoul pays almost nothing.

Gen. Vincent Brooks, nominated to succeed Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti as USFK commander, made the remark during a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing, noting that it would cost more to have the 28,500 troops stationed in the U.S. than in South Korea.

"The Republic of Korea is carrying a significant load and is dedicated to our presence there," he said, adding that the Asian ally is "paying about 50 percent of our personnel cost of being there" and the share goes up according to inflation every year.

Brooks also said that South Korea is funding most of the cost for a massive US$10.8 billion project to relocate American troops further south.

"They carry 92 percent of that, 92 cents on a dollar," Brooks said.

When Sen. John McCain asked if it would cost more to keep those troops stationed in the U.S. than it would be in Korea, Brook said, "Absolutely."

Brooks, currently commander of U.S. Army Pacific, said that North Korea's asymmetric capabilities, such as long-range missiles, nuclear and cyber capabilities are "causes for great concern."

He said that the North is currently struggling with getting its intercontinental ballistic missile program up and the communist regime will acquire those capabilities over time.

"It's my opinion that North Korea is moving in the wrong direction and the changes we've seen are all provocative and more dangerous -- their willingness to draw blood, to sink vessels, to fire some of their numerous artillery systems into populated areas, to put landmines outside Republic of Korea camps," Brooks said.

"All these things are indications of an escalating approach to crisis. We've seen more crises in the last five years than we've seen in the majority of the time with the armistice. I'm very concerned about that. If confirmed, that would be a focus of my attention," he said.

The commander also stressed the importance of having the THAAD missile defense system in South Korea.

"If confirmed, we would continue to work through this bilateral mechanism of discussing the utility and the possible place of a Terminal High Altitude battery," he said. "In my opinion, it is a needed capability -- whether THAAD or something like that. There needs to be that layer of protection added to a broader set of protections against ballistic missiles." (Yonhap)