The United States must reform its military command-and-control structure in Northeast Asia by establishing a new US Northeast Asia Command (USNEACOM). This proposed sub-unified command under PACOM would encompass Japan, South Korea, and surrounding areas, addressing the current hub-and-spoke model's inadequacy for the critical subregion. USNEACOM aims to bypass political resistance hindering military coordination between Japan and South Korea, facilitate a "kill web" in the first island chain, and bolster deterrence against China and North Korea.
The command would integrate US Forces Japan (USFJ) and US Forces Korea (USFK), reducing redundancies and enhancing trilateral strategic, operational, and tactical coordination. This restructuring is crucial given the "tyranny of distance" faced by PACOM and the increasing need to prepare for simultaneous contingencies involving both China and North Korea, recognizing the inextricable link between the security of Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Historical precedents like the WWII dual-command system and Far East Command support such a theater-focused approach.
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