(LEADS) S. Korean general assumes deputy U.S. Eighth Army commander post

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES throughout)

SEOUL, June 22 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean military official took up a position of deputy commander of the U.S. Eighth Army for the first time on Friday, in a symbolic move to underscore the close-knit alliance.

Brigadier Gen. Kim Tae-up, 53, will work alongside two other deputy commanders: Major Gen. Arlan M. DeBlieck and Major Gen. Viet X. Luong who are in charge of sustainment and operations, respectively.

Eighth Army Commander Lieut. Gen. Michael A. Bills led Kim's inauguration ceremony at the unit's headquarters in Pyeongtaek, about 70 kilometers south of Seoul.

"We can say that his appointment as the deputy commander is a manifestation of the will to strengthen cooperation between the allies' militaries," an informed source told Yonhap News Agency on condition of anonymity.

Kim has long served in various posts of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, including those in charge of operations and military planning. He also served as the deputy chief of the allies' combined division. In 2010, Kim led the Dongmyeong Unit, a South Korean contingent operating as part of the U.N. Interim Force in conflict-laden Lebanon.

Earlier this year, Kim was selected to be the first Korean official since 2010 to take the senior mission leader course of the U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

sshluck@yna.co.kr
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