[Source/Observer Network, Wang Yi] The Wall Street Journal reported on May 22 that US Department of Defense officials revealed that the Trump administration is considering withdrawing 4,500 US troops from South Korea and redeploying them to Guam or other locations in the Indo-Pacific region.

The report stated that this proposal is part of an informal assessment of US policy towards North Korea, currently under preparation, has not yet been submitted for Trump's review, and is just one of many options discussed by senior US officials.

In response to inquiries about these discussions, the US Department of Defense spokesperson said there was no policy to announce a withdrawal of troops from South Korea. Pete Nguyen, spokesperson for the National Security Council, did not respond to whether the number of US troops stationed in South Korea would be reduced, but emphasized that Trump is committed to "complete denuclearization" of North Korea.

The South Korean Ministry of National Defense denied the reports on May 23, stating that there had been no discussion between South Korea and the US regarding the withdrawal of US troops from South Korea.

Since 1953, the US has maintained a military presence in South Korea, but Trump has questioned the necessity of stationing about 29,000 troops in South Korea since the beginning of his first term. According to the JoongAng Ilbo on May 23, Trump has repeatedly used the withdrawal of US troops from South Korea as leverage to demand South Korea bear more costs for their maintenance. It was reported that he considered reducing some of the troops stationed in South Korea during his first presidency, but the plan was not implemented due to opposition from staff members at the time.

Yonhap News Agency analyzed on April 22 that as Trump continued to push his "America First" agenda in his second term, people have speculated that his administration might consider reducing the number of US troops in South Korea to reduce military involvement overseas and save costs.

However, most US defense officials do not support the withdrawal of troops from South Korea. At a hearing on April 10, Admiral Samuel Paparo, current commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, warned that "essentially, this would undermine our ability to win in a conflict."

December 2024, the handover ceremony of the US Forces Korea Command. Provided by the South Korean Ministry of National Defense to local media.

Xavier Brunson, commander of US Forces Korea, also affirmed the importance of maintaining the US military presence in South Korea, stating that it allows the US military to "deter" Russia, China, and North Korea in the region, and reducing troop levels would bring problems.

The Wall Street Journal believes that if the US seriously considers withdrawing troops from South Korea, it could cause panic across the entire Indo-Pacific region, where countries like South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines rely on cooperation with the US military for defense.

Yonhap News Agency pointed out that speculation suggests the new National Defense Strategy being formulated by the US may seek to give US forces in South Korea "greater strategic flexibility" to deter "assertive China." The timing of reports about the US considering withdrawing thousands of troops from South Korea has drawn attention, as it may be interpreted as a sign of reduced US commitment to South Korean defense.

Earlier this year, US Secretary of Defense Hackett made his first official visit to Asia and expressed hope that the US and its allies would "re-establish deterrence," promising an "unprecedented" shift toward the region. He tasked Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby with formulating a new defense strategy, prioritizing "containing China," while urging allies to shoulder more defense spending.

Last October, the US and South Korea signed a five-year cost-sharing agreement for defense expenses, increasing South Korea's annual contribution starting in 2026 to approximately 1.52 trillion Korean won (about 7.9 billion RMB). However, Trump was dissatisfied with this, referring to South Korea as a "money machine" during his campaign and advocating for raising South Korea's defense fee contributions to nine times the 2026 standard, or $10 billion.

In his first congressional speech in March, Trump again criticized South Korea, saying that the US provides military aid to South Korea, but South Korea imposes tariffs four times higher on American products, harming US interests. In April, Trump directly imposed "tariff sticks" on all trade partners including South Korea.

South Korean media believe that the essence of Trump's "tariff sticks" and threats to reduce the number of US troops stationed in South Korea is to urge South Korea to bear more defense costs. He recently hinted that issues related to the proportion of South Korea's contribution to the defense costs of US troops stationed in South Korea should also be discussed together when negotiating tariff issues with South Korea.

How to negotiate with the US on defense and economic issues has become a focal point of South Korea's presidential election. Kim Moon-soo, a candidate from the People Power Party, stated on May 19 that he is willing to renegotiate South Korea's contribution to the US military presence. CNBC reported that Lee Jae-myung, a candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea, appears open to discussing the defense cost-sharing agreement again.

A commentary article published on April 22 in the JoongAng Ilbo stated that once the reduction of US troops stationed in South Korea and the transfer of forces to other regions occur, the ROK-US alliance will face another test, and this "time bomb" may explode after the new government takes office in June.

This article is an exclusive piece from Observer Network and cannot be reproduced without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7507470236505965094/

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