In all the years since the 1953 armistice that saw a cessation of fighting in the Korean war, US troops have been based in South Korea with the aim of deterring North Korea and defending the South. But concerns are mounting in Seoul that the Trump administration may be looking to expand the role of the US Forces Korea (USFK) beyond this original mission. Bilateral tensions escalated further last week following a Wall Street Journal report that the Pentagon is weighing the relocation of approximately 4,500 of the 28,500 American troops currently stationed in South Korea to bases in Guam and other locations across the Indo-Pacific. In March, Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Elbridge Colby advocated prioritising US military assets to counter China. That same month, a document, known as the Interim National Defence Strategic Guidance, reportedly distributed by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, particularly rattled Seoul, as it states that the potential invasion of Taiwan should be given precedence over other dangers in the region.
US troops in Korea may soon switch focus from Pyongyang to Beijing | Lowy Institute
