Washington could weigh shake-ups of top US commanders in S. Korea, Japan

Speculation is mounting that the United States may be considering a shake-up of its top military command structure in South Korea and Japan — a move that could reverse the long-standing strategic standing of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) and U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ), elevating Tokyo's role while reducing Seoul's.

Currently, the USFK commander holds a four-star rank, while USFJ is led by a three-star general. But with growing U.S. focus on China and the broader Indo-Pacific region, observers say Washington is weighing elevating the Japan post to four-star status while potentially downgrading the Korea command to three-star.

In a recent op-ed in the Asahi Shimbun, Lt. Gen. Stephen Jost, commander of USFJ, outlined the restructuring of its forces to better align with regional challenges in the Indo-Pacific.

"The security, freedom and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific face increasing challenges from adversarial nations, primarily the People’s Republic of China, and I can tell you firsthand that these threats are only intensifying," Jost wrote.

"Moving from a headquarters primarily charged with an alliance management mission to one that, in time, will integrate and synchronize operations that span the spectrum of operations from humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and armed conflict is a monumental task," he added.

Observers in Seoul say the USFJ's transformation inevitably raises questions about American troops' future role on the neighboring Korean Peninsula.

The U.S. has been signaling a possible shift in the role of the USFK under the framework of “strategic flexibility,” a concept that envisions the 28,500 American troops being rapidly deployed to other regional flashpoints rather than remaining solely focused on deterring threats from Pyongyang.

USFK commander Gen. Xavier Brunson has indicated that the mission of American troops on the peninsula now extends beyond deterring North Korea, reflecting a broader strategic role in the region.

"Our mission is not just focused on defeating North Korea,” Brunson said during a forum in May, adding that it also includes "operations, activities and investments as a small part of the greater Indo-Pacific strategy."

This broader strategic outlook, as articulated by Brunson, has prompted experts to suggest a potential recalibration of the USFK's operational focus and structure, including a possible downgrade of its commanding general's rank.

"Brunson’s remarks suggest that USFK’s role or size could be adjusted, with a possible reduction in ground forces and a greater emphasis on air and naval components," said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University. "That could potentially lead to the USFK commander being downgraded from four-star to three-star."

Park said that such a shift, if it occurs, would be a "serious security challenge" for the Lee Jae Myung administration, which has pursued what it calls "pragmatic diplomacy" to balance relations between Washington and Beijing.

"With Trump’s ongoing pressure on Seoul over defense cost sharing, the issue of reducing USFK is bound to resurface," he said. "As Seoul hesitates to take decisive action and continues to walk a tightrope between the U.S. and China, Washington may increasingly exclude Korea from its core defense perimeter in the Indo-Pacific region and turn to Japan instead."

Within the USFK, there are signs of a shifting strategic perspective.

Recent local reports suggested that U.S. troops in Korea have begun using an upside-down map of East Asia in educational materials, seemingly to highlight the Korean Peninsula's geographic importance within the broader Indo-Pacific theater.

"Gen. Xavier Brunson often uses the map to emphasize the strategic importance of the region in which USFK operates," the USFK said in response to an inquiry from The Korea Times about the map, neither denying nor confirming the reports.

"He highlights the Korean Peninsula's location — not just as part of the Asian continent, but as the site of one of the most forward-positioned and substantial U.S. force postures in the Indo-Pacific," it added.

However, the USFK declined to comment on discussions regarding any changes to the four-star command structure.

Kim Yeoul-soo, a senior fellow at the Korea Institute for Military Affairs, said Seoul should closely monitor developments regarding the potential upgrade of USFJ, which would expand its traditional focus on logistics and administrative functions to that of a joint forces command.

"Upgrading the USFJ commander to a four-star general would likely come after fully converting the Japan command into a joint force headquarters and potentially shifting United Nations Command leadership — currently headed by the USFK commander — to Japan," Kim said.

Regarding the issue, Seoul's Ministry of National Defense said it has "not received any request from the U.S. side regarding the USFK commander's role or the troop levels."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment directly on the issue, stressing that the two countries remain in close communication.

“The Korean government will continue close consultations and cooperation with the U.S. to ensure that the alliance develops into a future-oriented, comprehensive strategic alliance capable of responding effectively to evolving economic and security environments,” a ministry official said.