Outgoing U.S. 8th Army commander receives state medal for contribution to alliance

The South Korean government conferred a state medal on Lt. Gen. Willard M. Burleson, the outgoing commander of the U.S. 8th Army based in the country, Monday for his contributions to strengthening the bilateral alliance.

Defense Minister Shin Won-sik awarded Burleson the Gukseon Medal, the second-highest class in the Order of National Security Merit, on behalf of the government in a ceremony at the defense ministry’s headquarters in central Seoul, his office said.

Burleson, who took the post in October 2020, is set to leave office Friday.

“Since he took command of the U.S. 8th Army, Burleson made many efforts to enhance the combined defense posture under close coordination between South Korea and the United States amid the COVID-19 pandemic and advancing North Korean nuclear and missile threats,” the ministry said in a release.

The ministry noted the allies’ combined exercises during Burleson’s term, including their regular major joint exercises last year and this year, held at the largest scale ever, contributed to improving the two sides’ interoperability.

Shin requested Burleson’s efforts to develop the bilateral alliance even after his retirement, and the U.S. general vowed to continue to support such efforts, according to the ministry.

Lt. Gen. Christopher C. LaNeve, the former commander of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division, is set to succeed Burleson, who is set to retire in May after 36 years of military service.

Last Friday, the Association of Korea-U.S.A. Friendship Alliance also gifted Burleson an honorary Korean name — Bae Il-woo — in recognition of his service in the country.