US commander stresses need for troops in South Korea following Trump’s reduction remarks

In the wake of President Donald Trump's recent comments suggesting a reduction in the US military presence in South Korea, General Xavier Brunson, the leader of US Forces Korea, emphasises the critical importance of maintaining the current troop levels on the Korean Peninsula. 

“The troops that we have in the Republic of Korea are responsible wholly for preserving peace on the peninsula and in the region,” Army Gen. Xavier Brunson, who also heads Combined Forces Command, said before the Senate Armed Services Committee. “They are a critical component to ballistic missile defense in the region. They are critical to helping Indo-Pacific Command see, sense and understand threats to the north and to deter a great many adversaries,” Caliber.Az reports via the website covering news about service members at home and deployed around the world. 

Currently, approximately 28,500 US military personnel are stationed in South Korea, collaborating with regional military partners and United Nations forces. The US Department of Defense has kept at least 25,000 troops deployed in South Korea continuously since the early 1950s.

Despite this long-standing presence, President Trump and his advisers have raised questions about the value of maintaining a large US military footprint overseas. In an Oval Office discussion, Trump was asked about reducing US military presence in Europe and extended the conversation to include South Korea. “We pay for US military in Europe, and we don’t get reimbursed by much. South Korea, too,” Trump said. “It will be one of the things that we discuss that is unrelated to trade, but we’ll make it part of the trade conversation. It would be nice to wrap it all up together.”

During the Senate hearing, ranking member Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., referenced “rumors” that the Defense Department may consider reducing US forces in South Korea or shifting their focus to countering China rather than North Korea. In response, General Brunson did not directly address these speculations but emphasised the importance of strategic clarity when discussing any changes to the US military presence. 

“We need to remember there is diplomacy and defense on the Korean Peninsula currently,” Brunson stated. He further urged that any changes in the US military posture should be communicated clearly to both allies and adversaries to ensure continued stability in the region. Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, echoed Brunson’s comments, highlighting that US forces in South Korea provide significant benefits not only to the country but also to other regional allies. 

“They make significant contributions outside the Korean Peninsula, including in their participation in multilateral exercises,” Paparo said. While no official plans to reduce troops or alter force posture in the region have been announced, Pentagon officials have yet to provide details regarding potential reviews of troop levels in Europe or the Pacific.

By Naila Huseynova