YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea - Korean and American military leaders met here at the Hartell House Jan. 8 for the 8th Army Commanding General's Holiday Reception.
Eighth Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. John D. Johnson hosted the annual reception and welcomed such distinguished guests as Gen. Walter L. Sharp, commander of United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea and retired South Korean Gen. Paik Sun-yup, the first four-star general in the Republic of Korea.
Johnson thanked ROK and U.S. leaders for their continued cooperation in deterring aggression on the peninsula.
Referring to the North Korean attack on Yeonpyeong Island on Nov. 23, Johnson praised the efforts of the ROK-U.S. Alliance in response to the attack and the series of ROK exercises that followed the incident.
"Even though we went through difficult times for the last several months, we have done a great job dealing with the problem thanks to all of your support," said Johnson. "Now, I stand here to thank each and every one of you for your efforts."
Divided into two sessions, the reception was attended by many senior alliance leaders from around the Korean Peninsula.
To welcome the new year, which is represented as a "rabbit" in the lunar calendar, an ice sculpture with an image of a rabbit was displayed in the Hartell House.
Johnson ended the reception with the traditional Korean greeting "Sae Hae Bok Mani Badeuseyo," which means Happy New Year.
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