Gen. James Thurman, the commander of the United Forces in Korea, got a Korean name in a gesture of friendship and goodwill for his service in the nation, an alliance association said Friday.

The Republic of Korea-U.S. Alliance Friendship Association conferred the name, "Seo Min Jae," to the four-star general, who is dual-hatted as the commander of the United Nations Command, during a ceremony held at the U.S. Army garrison in Yongsan, Seoul.

The society has made a special plaque, containing a message of good will and explanation of Thurman's new name, which means a person who serves people well.

The surname "Seo" is derived from the similar Korean pronunciation of the letter in the name "Thurman," it said.

In the past, some visiting U.S. officials, including U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have accepted Korean names, during their visit to the nation.

About 28,500 American troops are based in South Korea as a deterrence against North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

(Yonhap News)