Senior defense officials from South Korea and the United States held talks in Seoul on Wednesday to discuss ways to advance their combined sustainment capabilities. The meeting between Koo Sang-mo of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff and Mark Simerly of the US Defense Logistics Agency marked the first official engagement between the two organizations. Both sides agreed on the key role of sustainment operations in a changing security environment.
On February 11, 2026, in Seoul, Koo Sang-mo, chief director of military support at South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), met with Mark Simerly, director of the US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). The talks focused on deepening combined sustainment capabilities based on the steadfast Korea-US alliance.
Koo stated that cooperation with the DLA, which handles defense logistics support for US forces worldwide, is "essential" for maintaining the combined defense posture. He called for strengthened coordination to ensure immediate and continued military support in a contingency.
In response, Simerly said the US prioritizes supply chain management through the Indo-Pacific Command to defend South Korea, a key ally, and pledged to bolster the partnership with South Korea's JCS.
Both sides agreed to expand regular communication between the organizations to enhance cooperation. Simerly arrived in South Korea on Tuesday for a three-day trip to assess defense logistics for US Forces Korea and the combined posture, marking the first such visit by a DLA director.
The discussions underscored that sustainment operations are a key deciding factor in a changing security environment.
