BUSAN, Republic of Korea (NNS) -- U.S. and Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy leaders from across the region met in Busan to discuss ways in which both navies can improve ASW capabilities, Dec. 1-2.

The two-day ASW Working Group, co-hosted by Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea (CNFK) and ROK Fleet, is the fifth meeting focused solely on ASW since the cooperation charter was signed in 2014.

"Submarine warfare is a known threat not just to the ROK but to the region," said Rear Adm. Kim, Jong-Il, , the deputy commander of ROK Fleet. "This working group is important because the U.S. and ROK navies must continue to work together in strengthening our ASW capabilities."

The working group, consisting of 17 U.S. and ROK commands, evaluated the effectiveness of the current agreement, and further synchronized all ASW improvement efforts to include training, exercises, and assessments.

Rear Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CNFK and working group co-chair, echoed Kim's sentiment and emphasized the importance of the working group.

"Anti-submarine warfare is complex," Cooper said to the group during his opening remarks, "and to be successful, the complexity demands our attention and full buy-in. The threat of submarine warfare is real so that is why I am excited to see such a large group participate in this year's discussion."

Cooper concluded his remarks by thanking the more than 60 U.S. and ROK personnel in attendance for their dedication to developing training scenarios to enhance combined capabilities across all ASW domains from the subsurface, surface, and air.

"What you are doing here, from the discussions today to the table top exercise tomorrow, is important," said Cooper. "The effort and attention we put into this working group will benefit the security of the region so your attendance here matters."

Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea is the regional commander for the U.S. Navy in the Republic of Korea and provides expertise on naval matters to area military commanders, including the commander of the United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and U.S. Forces Korea.