USFK Troop Levels Temporarily Maintained [Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club]

U.S. House and Senate to Draft NDAA Next Year
Specifies Troop Maintenance to Check Trump Administration

The United States has decided to maintain the current level of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) troop strength next year. This is interpreted as the Biden administration's intention to maintain the level of the South Korea-U.S. alliance ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump in January next year.

Yonhap News

On the 10th, the joint session of the Senate and House prepared the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2025. In the section titled ‘Congressional Recognition of Defense Alliances and Partnerships in the Indo-Pacific Region’ within the single NDAA, the U.S. Secretary of Defense stated that the Department of Defense should strengthen cooperation with South Korea, Japan, and others to enhance U.S. defense alliances and partnerships in the region and promote the U.S.'s comparative advantage in strategic competition with China.

Regarding South Korea, it stated, "To support the shared goal of a peaceful and stable Korean Peninsula, approximately 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea under the 1953 Mutual Defense Treaty between South Korea and the United States will be maintained, mutual defense foundations will be strengthened, and the extended deterrence commitment utilizing all U.S. defense capabilities will be reaffirmed." The bill also requires the Department of Defense to submit a plan by March 1 next year to strengthen the U.S. extended deterrence commitment to South Korea.

This includes ▲ the nuclear consultation process between South Korea and the U.S. during emergencies and crises ▲ nuclear and strategic planning between South Korea and the U.S. ▲ integration of conventional and nuclear (capabilities) between South Korea and the U.S. ▲ security and intelligence sharing methods ▲ and the budget, personnel, and resources necessary to strengthen extended deterrence to South Korea, as ordered by the U.S. Congress. Congress also requested a separate report on progress in trilateral defense cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan.

However, the phrases ‘maintaining the current level of USFK’ and ‘extended deterrence commitment to South Korea’ are repeatedly included in the NDAA. They do not have legal binding force. Previously, during the Trump administration’s first term from fiscal years 2019 to 2021, the U.S. Congress specified the size of USFK and prohibited the use of related funds if the troop level fell below that number. This measure was taken due to concerns that then-President Trump might withdraw or reduce USFK.

In 2021, former President Trump announced plans to reduce the U.S. troops in Germany from 36,000 to 24,000. The plan involved redeploying 5,600 troops within Europe and returning 6,400 troops to the United States. Trump also exercised a veto on the 2021 NDAA, citing provisions that restricted U.S. troop withdrawals from South Korea, Germany, and Afghanistan. Notably, in the joint statement of the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) held between the South Korean and U.S. defense ministers in October last year, the phrase maintaining the current level of approximately 28,500 USFK troops was omitted, raising concerns about possible adjustments to the USFK troop size.

Trump’s mention of withdrawing U.S. troops from Germany was seen as dissatisfaction with Germany’s defense spending levels. In this context, concerns arose that Trump, who claimed South Korea was free-riding with low defense cost-sharing, might also withdraw USFK. In late April, Trump hinted at the possibility of withdrawing USFK in an interview with the American news magazine Time, while pressuring South Korea to increase its defense cost-sharing. Especially as the U.S. government emphasizes strategic flexibility of its forces worldwide, the possibility of temporary overseas deployment of USFK troops in emergencies and changes in their roles cannot yet be ruled out.