Gen. Vincent Brooks, commander of U.S. Army Pacific, is being considered a leading candidate to succeed Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti as commander of U.S. Forces Korea, a source said Thursday.

The U.S. Defense Department announced last week that Scaparrotti was nominated to be NATO's top military commander. The Pentagon did not say who will be succeeding him as chief of 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea to deter North Korean threats.

The source said that Brooks is being talked about as a leading candidate to succeed Scaparrotti, though no official decision has been made.

The Pentagon said it has no announcement to make on next USFK commander.

Brooks, who took command of U.S. Army Pacific in 2013, is considered well versed in military affairs in China and on the Korean Peninsula. His 36 years of experience include assignments in Germany, Korea, Kosovo and the Middle East. (Yonhap)