Senior leaders from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea (CNFK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy met at the ROK Busan Naval Base to conduct the second session of a flag-level strategic dialogue, reaffirming their commitment to a strong maritime partnership.
The dialogue, hosted at the Commander, ROK Fleet Headquarters in Busan, was led by Rear Adm. Sharif H. Calfee, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea, and Rear Adm. Lee Jong-ee, ROK Navy chief of policy. The flag-level CNFK-ROKN HQ Strategic Dialogue is the central event for discussing critical bilateral maritime alliance policy issues between the U.S. and ROK navies.
"Our alliance with the Republic of Korea Navy is ironclad and has been the bedrock of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula for decades," said Calfee. "These dialogues are vital opportunities to sit down with our partners, face-to-face, and ensure we are perfectly aligned and moving forward together on our shared security goals."
During the session, the leaders discussed a range of topics aimed at strengthening the management of the maritime alliance. Key focus areas included enhancing combined operations, training, and exercises to ensure readiness and seamless coordination between the two navies.
"The discussions we had today are critical for building on our combined capabilities and ensuring we can meet any challenge," said Calfee. "By focusing on strengthening maritime alliance management, enhancing operations, training, and exercises, improving interoperability, and extending survivable logistics, we are not just talking about strategy; we are taking tangible steps to make our combined forces more resilient, more capable, and more integrated."
The dialogue serves as a cornerstone for planning future collaboration and reinforcing the robust relationship between the U.S. and ROK naval forces. A previous session was held in February at the ROK Navy Logistics Command in Jinhae, ROK.
CNFK is the U.S. Navy's representative in the Republic of Korea, sharing leadership and expertise in naval matters to support the enduring alliance.
| Date Taken: | 04.20.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.21.2026 22:07 |
| Story ID: | 563301 |
| Location: | BUSAN GWANG'YEOGSI [PUSAN-KWANGYOKSHI], KR |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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