Hegseth stresses importance of Korean War as rumors swirl of U.S. troop cut on the peninsula

Home > National > Defense

Hegseth stresses importance of Korean War as rumors swirl of U.S. troop cut on the peninsula

Published: 26 May. 2025, 15:39 Updated: 26 May. 2025, 18:37

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listens during an event with President Donald Trump to sign executive orders regarding nuclear energy in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on May 23. [AP/YONHAP]

Amid recent rumors of a U.S. troop reduction in Korea and ensuing denials from both the Korean and U.S. defense authorities, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth emphasized the importance of the Korean War (1950-53) during his visit on Sunday to the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington ahead of Memorial Day, which falls on Monday.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Hegseth also cleaned the statues and monuments at the memorial alongside his children and U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins.

"It gave me a moment to remind the kids about the Korean War, what was it, why did it matter, what the strategic environment was, who were we fighting, how many people we lost, and why are we still there,” Hegseth said after the cleaning.

Speaking of the importance of Memorial Day, he said, "We have to very intentionally infuse it into the minds and hearts and souls of young kids so that they understand why it’s special — and want to pass it [along] as well.”

Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the Trump administration was considering relocating about 4,500 U.S. troops stationed in Korea to Guam or other locations within the Indo-Pacific region.

This number represents roughly 16 percent of the total 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in Korea.

However, the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Forces Korea denied the report on Friday, stating, “The United States remains firmly committed to the defense of the ROK and we look forward to working with the incoming government officials to maintain and strengthen our ironclad alliance,” referring to Korea by the acronym of its official name, the Republic of Korea.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is seen cleaning statues and monuments at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington ahead of Memorial Day on May 25. [U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE]

“There have been no discussions between Korea and the United States regarding such matters,” Korea’s Ministry of National Defense also said.

While the defense authorities of both nations have sought to quell concerns, speculation about a reduction or realignment of U.S. troops in Korea has persisted since the Donald Trump administration took office.

The continuous emergence of such rumors is also fueled by the Pentagon's development of a new National Defense Strategy (NDS), prioritizing homeland defense and countering China.

Trump said during a commencement speech at the U.S. Military Academy on Saturday that the days when the primary concern of the United States was defending every country were over, saying that America should be put first.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is seen cleaning statues and monuments at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington ahead of Memorial Day on May 25. [U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE]

“We’re getting rid of distractions and we’re focusing our military on its core mission: crushing America’s adversaries, killing America’s enemies and defending our great American flag like it has never been defended before,” he added.

Some speculate that the role and operational structure of U.S. Forces Korea could change, potentially reducing the rank of the USFK commander. Earlier this month, the Pentagon released a memo proposing a reduction of at least 20 percent of active-duty four-star generals and at least 10 percent of general officers overall.

“Among the four-star general positions that Secretary Hegseth may target for reduction are the commanders of U.S. Army Pacific and U.S. Forces Korea,” Reuters reported.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HA SU-YOUNG [[email protected]]