The “priority” of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) is to defend against a North Korean attack even if China were to invade Taiwan, South Korea’s defense ministry said Tuesday.

The statement comes after former USFK commander Robert Abrams raised the possibility that American troops in South Korea could be deployed to a hypothetical conflict in the Taiwan Strait.

“Like current commander [Paul] LaCamera recently said, USFK forms a firm combined defense posture together with ROK Army, and its top priority is carrying out the mission of deterring and responding to North Korean invasion,” defense ministry spokesperson Moon Hong-shik said in