Senior U.S. defense officials' comments at Shangri-La Dialogue leave Korea guessing

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Senior U.S. defense officials' comments at Shangri-La Dialogue leave Korea guessing

Published: 30 May. 2025, 15:27

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A Surion helicopter is seen with South Korean and American soldiers during a joint training session at a base in Paju, Gyeonggi on March 11. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The United States government is reportedly not ruling out the possibility of reducing its military presence in South Korea as part of a broader strategy to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Associated Press (AP) reported Thursday, citing multiple senior officials in the Department of Defense, that a reduction in U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) troops could be considered as part of a broader “strategic calibration” of U.S. military forces.

The comments came from two senior defense officials who recently attended the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore alongside U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

They said that adjustments to the U.S. military presence in South Korea are among the options under review as part of a redeployment aimed at deterring China, according to the AP report.

One official clarified that the exact number of troops stationed in South Korea has not yet been finalized, but noted that future force posture in South Korea will be structured not only for the defense of North Korea but also to better deter China.

Another senior Pentagon official, speaking onboard a flight to Singapore in response to a question from Yonhap News, said that deterring China is the top priority and that adjusting USFK’s posture in coordination with the South Korean government to reflect this reality is essential.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth holds a joint press conference with and Philippine Secretary of Defense Gilberto Teodoro, not pictured, at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Philippines, on May 28. [AP/YONHAP]

These remarks indicate a shift in the mission scope of USFK, signaling that its role may extend beyond defending the Korean Peninsula to broader security challenges in Northeast Asia — a move toward what the U.S. military has described as “strategic flexibility.”

This shift became more apparent during the Trump administration, which prioritized enhancing military flexibility in the Indo-Pacific, a stance that has gained further attention amid escalating strategic rivalry with China.

USFK Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson also echoed this sentiment during the Land Forces Pacific Theater (Lanpac) symposium held by the Association of the United States Army in Hawaii on May 15.

Brunson said that the USFK is not solely focused on North Korea but is engaged in a range of operations and activities as part of the broader Indo-Pacific strategy.

The Wall Street Journal reported on May 22 that the Pentagon is considering relocating around 4,500 of the approximately 28,500 USFK troops to Guam or other locations in the Indo-Pacific.

General Xavier T. Brunson receives the United States Forces Korea flag from U.S. Navy admiral Samuel John Paparo, commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command, during a change-of-command ceremony for the United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and United States Forces Korea at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek on Dec. 20, 2024. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Although the Pentagon dismissed the WSJ report the next day, stating “the report is not true,” a series of comments and actions suggest that the reconfiguration and strategic realignment of USFK forces is becoming an increasingly realistic possibility.

“Even if the size of U.S. Forces Korea is reduced, the 72-year-old Korea-U.S. alliance will not be weakened,” former U.S. Ambassador to Korea Harry Harris, said on Friday during a press meeting held on the sidelines of the 20th Jeju Forum at the Jeju International Convention Center (ICC JEJU).

Harris served as the U.S. ambassador to Seoul during the first Donald Trump administration from July 2018 to January 2021.

“If a reduction in U.S. Forces Korea becomes reality, it will be to more effectively respond to the security challenges facing the United States and its allies in the Indo-Pacific region,” Harris said.

Harry Harris, former U.S. Ambassador to Korea, speaks during a press meeting held on the sidelines of the 20th Jeju Forum at the Jeju International Convention Center (ICC JEJU) on May 30. [NEWS1]

Harris argued that even if the number of U.S. troops in South Korea is reduced, reinforcements could be swiftly deployed from across the Indo-Pacific, including Japan, in the event of a contingency.

“There will be no negative impact on the United States’ commitment to defend South Korea from North Korea,” he said. “Of the United States’ only five bilateral defense treaties in the world, all — with South Korea, Japan, Australia, the Philippines and Thailand — are in the Indo-Pacific region.”

“We cannot view the issues of Taiwan, North Korea, China and Russia in isolation,” Harris added. “A holistic view of the entire Indo-Pacific is necessary.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG,PARK HYUN-JU [[email protected]]