Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), reportedly apologized to Korean military officials for a recent West Sea air exercise that briefly brought U.S. and Chinese fighter jets into a tense encounter, according to news reports. The Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday that parts of the media accounts were accurate but declined to provide further details, citing diplomatic sensitivity. The U.S. military also refused to confirm the reports. The reports said USFK staged large-scale aerial maneuvers from Osan Air Base on Feb. 18 and 19, during which Chinese aircraft also scrambled, creating a temporary standoff over the West Sea. Korean officials were said to have protested that the exercise plan had not been sufficiently shared in advance. Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back reportedly called Brunson on Feb. 19 to lodge a complaint. Afterward, Brunson conveyed his apology and the drill, originally scheduled to run through last Saturday, was halted early on Feb. 19, according to the reports. Defense ministry spokesperson Chung Binna confirmed to reporters that the phone cal
