CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — Special virtual guests made an appearance at the Commander-in-Chief Ball, one of several events held to celebrate President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday in Washington, D.C.
Eighth Army commander Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve, along with about 40 of his staff members, including Deputy Commander Brig. Gen. Lee Saing Min and Command Sgt. Major Robin Bolmer, participated in the event via a video call from the Maxwell D. Taylor Operations Center at Camp Humphreys.
The Commander-in-Chief Ball, the first of three Trump attended that night, was full of military personnel. A video of the event was posted on the Pentagon’s Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.
From the stage, Trump greeted the group on the big screen above him, saying, “Hello, everybody, how we doing over there? How’s Kim Jong Un doing?” His mention of the North Korean leader prompted laughter from the audience at the Washington Convention Center.
Trump then turned his attention to the group on screen and remarked, “That’s a good-looking group of people, isn’t it?”
In response, Lt. Gen. LaNeve described Eighth Army as “the bedrock of unmistakable land power on freedom’s frontier in Asia, protector of both homelands.” He added, “We’re proud to stand before you today representing our incredible team here in Korea. We’re deeply grateful to be part of this occasion.”
LaNeve congratulated Trump on his re-election and extended an invitation for the president to visit Camp Humphreys, where Eighth Army is based alongside U.S. Forces Korea, U.N. Command, and the Combined Forces Command. About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea, working alongside South Korean military forces.
“On behalf of the men and women who serve under my command, and the thousands of dedicated service members that are part of the joint team in Korea, congratulations on your victory as the 47th president of the United States,” LaNeve said. “We’d be privileged to host you here soon.”
The Commander-in-Chief Ball, a tradition started by President George W. Bush in 2005, has evolved with each administration, reflecting the unique style of each president.
Eighth Army spokesman Chongwon Choe explained that the interaction between LaNeve and Trump is part of a longstanding tradition of honoring U.S. military personnel stationed worldwide.
During the call, Trump mentioned North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a second time, calling him “somebody with some pretty bad intentions.” Trump had met with Kim three times, most recently on June 30, 2019, when he briefly stepped into North Korea at the Demilitarized Zone.
“I guess I would say that, although I developed a good relationship with him, he’s a tough cookie,” Trump said. “How’s it going over there, how’s it going?”
LaNeve replied, “Sir, every day we train, we stay hard, we plan for possibly everything you could need us to do. The alliance is strong; we’re ready to receive you, Mr. President.”
Trump, seemingly impressed with LaNeve’s response, remarked, “Is this man [from] central casting, or what? If I’m doing a movie, I’d pick him to play my lead.”
Before concluding the call, Trump thanked the group and asked if anyone else had a statement. LaNeve scanned the room, raised his right arm, clenched his fist, and shouted, “Hooah, sir!”
