U.S. Considers Withdrawing Thousands of Troops from South Korea

The White House is weighing the possibility of reducing the U.S. military presence in South Korea, a move that has prompted cautionary notes from military leaders due to potential security implications.

According to The Wall Street Journal, which cites sources within the Department of Defense, the Pentagon is drafting a plan that could see around 4,500 troops redeployed from South Korea to other locations across the Indo-Pacific region. At present, approximately 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea.

At this stage, it is just one of several proposals currently under discussion by senior officials responsible for reviewing U.S. security policy in the Asia-Pacific region.

The report notes that the idea of reducing the American military presence in South Korea originated with Donald Trump, who was concerned about the issue during his first presidential term.

Last month, top commanders overseeing U.S. forces in Asia warned that reducing the troop presence could undermine the United States’ ability to respond to threats from North Korea and other potential conflicts, including those involving China and Russia in the Northeast Asia region.

U.S. Army General Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, voiced his opposition to the reduction during a Congressional hearing, stating: “A decrease in force numbers is problematic.”

This assessment was echoed by Admiral Samuel Paparo, the commander of U.S. forces in the region, who stated during a U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing on April 10: “This would fundamentally reduce our ability to prevail in the event of conflict.”

The report adds, citing U.S. officials, that no decision on troop numbers will be made until there is greater clarity on the future course of the war in Ukraine and the Biden administration’s policy regarding military support for Kyiv.

Deterring Regional Threats

The U.S. military presence in the region has long been viewed as a key deterrent against a potential new war on the Korean Peninsula, as well as a check on China’s aggressive posture. Beijing claims a large portion of the South China Sea and has threatened to assert control over Taiwan.

A troop reduction could raise concerns among American allies. However, redeploying forces from the Korean Peninsula—without withdrawing them from the region entirely—might ease Pentagon worries. Guam is being considered as a new strategic hub for U.S. forces: close enough to regional flashpoints, yet more difficult for Chinese forces to reach.

Elbridge Colby, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development, has long advocated for South Korea to take more responsibility for its own defense. This, he argues, would allow the U.S. to allocate more resources toward countering China, while still maintaining the capability to defend Seoul—if necessary, even with nuclear weapons.

“I do not support a withdrawal of troops from South Korea, as I have stated repeatedly,” Colby wrote on the social media platform X last year, prior to his appointment at the Pentagon. “I support a restructuring of U.S. forces in the Republic of Korea to focus on China, while South Korea assumes the primary responsibility for defense against North Korea.”

In response to China’s military buildup, the Pentagon in recent years has been shifting more equipment into the region, stepping up multilateral exercises with allies, and deploying new mobile units capable of quickly moving from island to island.