Do Je-hae edits news stories as part of the AI team.
US hints at easing 'heavy concentration' of troops in Northeast Asia
In this file photo taken on March 28, U.S. President Donald Trump, with Defense Secretary Mark Esper, speaks during the departure ceremony for the hospital ship USNS Comfort at Naval Base Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia. AFP-Yonhap
By Do Je-hae
By Do Je-hae
A ranking U.S. official has hinted at the need for a realignment of U.S. troops in Northeast Asia to ensure that the U.S. has the “right forces in the right places,” according to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).
Concerns are that it may signal a possible reduction in the United States Forces Korea (USFK), which U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened as he pushes for Korea to pay more for the stationing of troops here.
“We are heavily concentrated in Northeast Asia,” David Helvey, acting assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific affairs, said, according to a report by the DOD, Monday. “Some of these troops' placements are legacies of World War II.”
“We'd like to be able to make our presence more geographically distributed, more operationally resilient,” he said. “Maybe the future is going to be less about bases and more about places ― being able to operate across a multiplicity of locations, which give us the flexibility and the agility to respond to a variety of different threats and challenges.”
His remark has raised concerns over reductions in the numbers of U.S. troops abroad, a move sought by Trump who has been openly critical of the U.S. having to spend too much on maintaining overseas bases.
In July, he approved a plan to withdraw 12,000 U.S. troops from Germany, nearly a third of the 34,500 stationed in the European country. This raised further speculation here that he may decide to undertake a similar move in Korea.
The speculation gained ground after recent media reports that the Pentagon had offered the White House an option to reduce the 28,500-strong USFK amid a prolonged bilateral dispute about the cost-sharing for maintaining the troops. Trump has used the possible reduction option as a bargaining chip to increase Seoul's share of the costs for the USFK's presence while slamming Korea for paying “peanuts” to maintain this.
Observers note that that ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November, the issue of a realignment of U.S. troops and cost-sharing with allies is expected to be highlighted as one of the major debate topics between Trump and his Democratic rival and two-time Vice President Joe Biden.
Some experts stress the importance of progress in the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) negotiations ― the mechanism that determines how much Korea pays for the USFK upkeep ― to avoid a sudden decision by the U.S. to withdraw some troops, which could jeopardize the U.S.-ROK alliance.
“In light of the changing security environment, strategic flexibility of U.S. forces is very important, but so is coordination and interoperability with allies. Washington and Seoul have significantly modernized the U.S. military footprint in South Korea and continue to transform the alliance,” Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University, told The Korea Times.
“The problem is U.S. allies face increased burden-sharing pressure and are trying to wait out Trump. That tactic carries risks of reduced military readiness and the discussion of partial troop withdrawals. Seoul does not want to dramatically increase its cost-sharing, but it also doesn't want to find itself in Germany's situation. So making progress with the SMA should be a priority.”
Regardless of who wins, the increasingly dominant view is that U.S. troops will likely be affected given that the world has changed and the U.S. is seeking to adjust its Northeast Asia strategy accordingly. In particular, the rise of China in the region has emerged as primary factor in the need for the U.S. to re-design its military and diplomatic policies in the region.
“It is likely that any U.S. administration will pursue a reduction and transition of U.S. troops stationed in Korea,” Kim Heung-Kyu, a professor at Ajou University, said in a recent media interview. “It's just a matter of time. The current deployment of U.S. troops is aimed at coping with the Cold War after the Korean War, which is not suitable for U.S.-China strategic competition.”