Kateryna Chernoval00:02, 23.05.25
There are currently about 28,000 US troops in the country.
The administration of US President Donald Trump is considering withdrawing several thousand US troops from South Korea as part of an informal review of policy towards North Korea (DPRK).
This was reported by The Wall Street Journal , citing Pentagon sources . It is noted that one of the options that the defense department is working on is to withdraw about 4,500 troops from South Korea. They can be redeployed to other places in the Indo-Pacific region, in particular, to Guam. At the same time, this is only one of several ideas, and the proposal has not yet reached Trump’s desk.
A Pentagon spokesman, when asked about the potential troop withdrawal, said there were no political statements at this time. South Korea’s Defense Ministry declined to comment.
There are about 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea. Trump considered reducing the number during his first term. But commanders who command U.S. forces in Asia have warned against such a move, saying it would jeopardize the U.S. ability to defeat North Korea and other potential conflicts with China and Russia that could arise in the region.
“US officials say a decision on troop levels will not be made until there is more clarity on the direction of the war in Ukraine and whether the administration will continue to support Kyiv militarily. Serious consideration of South Korea’s troop withdrawal is likely to raise concerns in the Indo-Pacific region. South Korea, as well as Japan and the Philippines, rely on close coordination with US forces to defend themselves and extend power in an increasingly contentious region,” the report says.
The US military presence in the region is seen as a deterrent against renewed war on the Korean Peninsula. Last year, North Korea abandoned its long-standing policy of peaceful reunification and declared Seoul its main enemy.
US troops are also considered a deterrent against an aggressive China, which is laying claims to the South China Sea and threatening to take control of Taiwan.
(c)UNIAN 2025
Good. SK hasn’t emerged from its shell of cowardice. Maybe this will make them.
Are you feeling ok? I think this is the first time you agreed with anything Trump did.
That aside, I remember Trump’s first term he was wailing about South Korea getting free protection from the US. Well, now South Korea is rich, they can pay for protection and also let us cut in on the chip making business, imo.
I’ll throw my WAG in and submit we protected SK, for that exact fact that the US was a direct benieficiary of the output of IC wafer fabs/houses. We design ICs here, fab off shore.
I know perfectly well what I’m saying, Red. North Korea has been helping mafia land massively, even engaging in this war directly. What does SK do about it? F*ck nothing. Not a tank, not a howitzer, not anything is being sent to Ukraine. There is no compassion from me. Besides that, they still eat dogs. To hell with them.
Off course, Kim Jung Un must be pleased, I nearly forgot……………………