Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.
S. Korea on edge as US eyes USFK role in Taiwan contingencies
Armored vehicles and American troops are seen at a U.S. military base in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province, March 10, during the Freedom Shield South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise. Yonhap
By Lee Hyo-jin
USFK's primary role is to maintain peace on Korean Peninsula: defense ministry
South Korea is expected to face pressure from the U.S. government to allow American troops stationed in the country to be deployed in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, analysts said Monday, following an alleged secret Pentagon memo that describes "deterring China's seizure of Taiwan" as its focus.
This contentious idea would shift the primary mission of the 28,500 U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) troops from deterring North Korean threats to countering China — a key element of the Donald Trump administration's foreign policy. For Seoul, this could create a security vacuum and complicate its relations with Beijing.
According to a Washington Post report published Saturday (local time), an interim National Defense Strategic Guidance document from the U.S. Department of Defense prioritizes deterring China’s seizure of Taiwan and strengthening homeland defense by "assuming risk" in other parts of the world.
The secret document, allegedly signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was reportedly distributed within the department in mid-March.
The document describes China as the department's "sole pacing threat," and denial of a Chinese fait accompli seizure of Taiwan — while simultaneously defending the U.S. homeland — as the Pentagon's sole pacing scenario. It further states that the Pentagon will pressure allies in Europe, the Middle East and East Asia to increase their responsibility in deterring threats from Russia, North Korea and Iran.
This document suggests that the Trump administration is poised to demand a greater security burden from South Korea and may also push for a shift in USFK’s role beyond the Korean Peninsula, according to local military experts.
"The U.S. government has previously floated the idea of shifting USFK's role to counter China, and under Trump, such demands could become more overt and emboldened. He would stress the strategic flexibility of the USFK, and seek to expand its mission to deter China's aggression," said Kim Yeoul-soo, an analyst at the Korea Institute for Military Affairs.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth waits for the arrival of Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba prior to their meeting at the latter's office in Tokyo, Sunday. The United States will ensure "robust, ready and credible deterrence" across the Taiwan Strait, Hegseth said, calling China "aggressive and coercive." AFP-Yonhap
Kim viewed that, in the long term, the Trump administration may push for South Korea to independently handle conventional military threats from North Korea, with the U.S. stepping in only in the event of nuclear threats.
The concept of USFK's strategic flexibility would support this shift, as it is aimed at changing the core mission of American forces abroad from defending host nations to rapid deployment to other parts of the world where the U.S. faces conflicts.
In 2006, the U.S. agreed to "consult" with South Korea in the event of making decisions related to USFK's strategic flexibility, but the issue has remained a source of debate, with concerns over unilateral decision-making by Washington.
"From Trump's perspective, keeping its forces permanently stationed here doesn't align with its national interests," Kim said. "The best option for South Korea is to significantly strengthen its defense capabilities, preparing for a scenario where there would be no U.S. troops involved in conventional warfare with North Korea."
Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University, said he wasn’t surprised by the latest revelations on Pentagon’s focus on China deterrence, as these ideas had already been publicly discussed by Elbridge Colby, Trump’s pick for undersecretary of defense for policy.
"Colby has repeatedly stated that the South Korea-U.S. alliance should be updated to reflect broader geopolitical environments, and even said that USFK should be restructured to address Chinese threats," Park said.
"Given that Colby has mentioned 2027 as the year Beijing could take action on Taiwan, the U.S. may seek to adjust USFK’s role and prepare for its involvement in a potential Taiwan Strait conflict before then."
Helicopters fly over with Taiwan's national flag during an inauguration celebration of Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te in Taipei, May 20, 2024. AP-Yonhap
South Korea's Ministry of National Defense reaffirmed that USFK's main role is maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
"Since this has not been confirmed as an official statement from the U.S. Department of Defense, there is nothing in particular for us to comment on," defense ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyou said during a briefing, when asked about the Washington Post report.
"The primary role of USFK is to contribute to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and that remains unchanged," he said.