United States Looking at Possible Troop ‘Adjustments’ in South Korea

A new report indicates that the United States is looking at possible troop “adjustments” in South Korea, which is a major ally to the United States.

According to The Washington Free Beacon:

The Pentagon is considering making “adjustments” to the American military presence in South Korea, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

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Though Secretary of Defense Mark Esper did not order a withdrawal from the region, he did announce the Pentagon’s more favorable posture to rotational deployment as opposed to permanent stationing. The strategy “gives us, the United States, greater strategic flexibility in terms of responding to challenges around the globe,” Esper said.

Jonathan Hoffman, Esper’s chief spokesman, said the shift’s intention is to “remove some of the footprint of having forces forward deployed.” He said the change would allow troops to train in more locations “instead of being in one country all the time” and would allow the United States to be “a little bit more unpredictable” in its deployment of military forces.

The shift in strategy comes as the Trump administration shows interest in changing worldwide troop placement. In recent weeks, strained relations with NATO allies have prompted the White House to reconsider the level of American troop presence in Germany.

Currently, 28,500 troops are stationed in South Korea but the White House has announced frustration with South Korea over the amount of money they contribute to the troop presence.