U.S. Gen. Burwell B. Bell replaced Gen.Leon J. LaPorte as new commander of the U.S. Forces Korea ( USFK) on Friday, reported South Korean major news agency Yonhap.

A ceremony marking the replacement was held at Collier Field House at the U.S. Yongsan Garrison in downtown Seoul earlier in the day, said Yonhap.

Currently, the USFK has some 30,000 troops in South Korea, and it planed to reduce its troops' scale to 25,000 by 2008.

According to the relative treaty, South Korea's 680,000-member military will come under Bell's command when war breaks out.

Bell, who has commanded U.S. Army armored units over a 37-year career, arrived here on Wednesday.

Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, presided over the replacement ceremony.

Source: Xinhua