The new deputy chief of the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command called on troops Thursday for a strong resolve to deter war in his inauguration ceremony at a key US Forces Korea military base.

Gen. Kang Shin-chul, the newly appointed deputy commander of the CFC, made the remark during the ceremony at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the command.

"The South Korea-US Combined Forces Command ... must not hesitate in the face of danger of war," he was quoted as saying. "Only then, will we be able to deter war and win."

During the ceremony, Gen. Paul LaCamera, commander of the CFC and the USFK, also called for continued efforts to establish a strengthened combined defense posture, the command said.

Kang was appointed to his new post Sunday as part of a major reshuffle of top military brass. He last served as the head of the Chief Directorate of Operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Launched in 1978, the CFC has been the allies' core war fighting headquarters tasked with countering potential North Korean provocations and aggression. (Yonhap)