A US think tank has proposed cutting the American military presence in South Korea by more than 50 percent, from 28,500 to about 10,000 troops.
The recommendation comes from DC-based Defense Priorities in a report titled Aligning Global Military Posture with U.S. Interests.
Authored by former Pentagon adviser Dan Caldwell and senior analyst Jennifer Kavanagh, it argues that the US should scale back its role on the Korean Peninsula and shift resources to counter China’s growing power.
The report suggests withdrawing nearly all US ground combat units from South Korea, including the rotational brigade combat team and army aviation elements, as well as two air force fighter squadrons and a third of associated support personnel.
The remaining 10,000 troops would focus on logistics, sustainment, and base operations, leaving frontline combat roles to South Korean forces.
Limited ‘Strategic Utility’ in S. Korea
Defense Priorities contends that Seoul has limited the US military’s ability to use its bases for regional operations, reducing the strategic utility of a large United States Forces Korea footprint.
The report warned that US forces in South Korea could be “sidelined” in a broader Indo-Pacific conflict.
The proposal comes amid broader debate in Washington over reallocating forces across the region.
In May, The Wall Street Journal reported the Pentagon was considering moving 4,500 troops from Korea to other Indo-Pacific locations, though both the US and South Korean defense ministries denied that claim.
The think tank argues that the US should only station forces abroad where they are essential to protect national interests and that allies such as South Korea must assume greater responsibility for regional security.
The authors recommend shifting more forces to Japan, Guam, and the second island chain to improve positioning against China.
Broader Strategic Framework
The Korea proposal is the centerpiece of a global posture overhaul that the think tank has framed around four core priorities: defending the US homeland, blocking the emergence of regional hegemons (chiefly China), shifting defense burdens onto allies, and safeguarding economic security.
In Europe, the report contends that US troop levels should return to pre-2014 numbers and that post‑9/11 deployments in the Middle East should be scaled back.
It argues that maintaining large forward military presences often enables allies to underinvest in their own defense, calling this “burden-shifting” a necessary element of a credible and sustainable global posture.
Additionally, the think tank emphasizes that reducing US forces in Korea and elsewhere is not just a tactical redeployment but a strategic signal. It’s meant to compel allies to step up their defense efforts in coordination with the US, rather than rely on American forces as a long-term crutch.
