(LEAD) S. Korean general assumes deputy Eighth U.S. Army chief post

(ATTN: UPDATES with his inauguration in lead paras)

SEOUL, June 22 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean Army general on Friday assumed a deputy commander post of the Eighth U.S. Army (EUSA) in a symbolic move to underscore the close-knit alliance.

It marks the first time that a South Korean military official has taken up the position.

Brig. Gen. Kim Tae-up, 53, is working alongside two other deputy EUSA commanders, Maj. Gen. Arlan M. DeBlieck and Maj. Gen. Viet X. Luong, who are in charge of sustainment and operations, respectively.

"I am honored, with my heart overflowing with joy, to become a proud member of the Eighth Army, which commands and controls the U.S. Forces Korea's ground forces," Kim said during the inauguration ceremony held in Pyeongtaek, about 70 kilometers south of Seoul.

His appointment is expected to help bolster the allies' combined combat posture.

"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 a Korean official since 2010 to take the senior mission leader course of the U.N. Department of Peace Keeping Operation.

sshluck@yna.co.kr
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