by Hyonhee Shin
soulDec 14 – US forces in Korea launched a new unit of Space Forces on Wednesday, as allies ramp up their efforts to better counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.
US Space Forces Korea is the second outer space component of the Space Force and is tasked with monitoring, detecting and tracking incoming missiles as well as strengthening the military’s overall space capability.
The Commander of United States Forces in Korea, General Paul LaCamera, held a ceremony at Osan Airport in the South Korean city of Pyeongtaek to mark the creation of the unit, which would be led by Lieutenant Colonel Joshua McCullen.
The launch comes as Seoul and Washington seek to boost security cooperation to deter North Korea, which this year tested intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the continental United States.
Along with the US Space Force, the South Korean Air Force also formed its own space unit this month to enhance its space power and operational capability.
About 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea under an armistice rather than a peace treaty under a mutual defense treaty that followed the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.
