US Congress Specifies Maintaining 28,000 US Troops in South Korea in Bipartisan Defense Authorization Agreement

Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do [Image source=Yonhap News]

The U.S. Congress specified in the 2023 fiscal year National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) bipartisan agreement that the number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea will be maintained at the current level of 28,500.

Jack Reed, Democratic chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Jim Inhofe, Republican ranking member, Adam Smith, Democratic chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Mike Rogers, Republican ranking member, released a revised NDAA agreement for both chambers on the 6th (local time) containing this provision.

The bill includes maintaining approximately 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea.

It also confirms the commitment to provide extended deterrence to South Korea by making all U.S. defense capabilities available under the Mutual Defense Treaty.

The Biden administration's requested $67.756 million budget for U.S. Forces Korea operations was fully reflected.

Additionally, it specifies that the scope for installing emergency escape routes in the Tango Command Post, a U.S. military bunker in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, can be expanded to prepare for fires, and regarding the construction of unmanned aerial vehicle hangars at Gunsan Air Base in Jeonbuk, it allows the hangars to be built at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek.