The top U.S. general in South Korea and his predecessor will join Vice President Pence in the official delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, the White House announced Thursday
Gen. Vincent Brooks, who commands U.S. Forces, United Nations Command and ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command in South Korea, along with his predecessor, retired Gen. James Thurman, will be part of the delegation.
Other members include second lady Karen Pence, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.), diplomat Marc Knapper and 2002 Olympic figure skating gold medal winner Sara Hughes.
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“The vice president is traveling to the Olympic Games in South Korea to reinforce the strong U.S. presence on the Korean Peninsula and send a clear message of American resolve to the North Korean regime,” said Jarrod Agen, Pence’s deputy chief of staff, in January.
The Winter Olympics are being held in Pyeongchang from Feb. 9-25 and will feature a team of athletes from both North and South Korea for the first time in history. The games come as the two countries have cooled tensions in recent weeks.
Pence traveled to the region last year, where he declared an end to “the era of strategic patience” with the North’s nuclear program.