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U.S. Joint Chiefs vice chair nominee says USFK 'capabilities' come before 'numbers'

Published: 12 Sep. 2025, 15:01

Gen. Christopher Mahoney, assistant commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, testifies during a Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing on his nomination to be vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 11. [AP/YONHAP]

Christopher Mahoney, U.S. President Donald Trump’s pick to become vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers on Thursday that he would weigh U.S. troop levels in South Korea by the military’s ability to deter threats, not by the number of boots on the ground.

Analysts said his remarks suggested that the administration's plan to potentially reduce forces in the region is gaining definition.

"I don't want to speculate on hypotheticals, but I will emphasize that we view U.S. posture not by the number of service members on the ground but by the capabilities needed to advance our national security interests," Mahoney wrote in answers to lawmakers' advance policy questions submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee for his confirmation hearing.

Mahoney’s remarks echo comments by Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) and the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, who said last month that changes may be needed within USFK.

"I think about capabilities," Brunson said, "not about numbers," emphasizing the importance of maintaining the ability to act effectively on the Korean Peninsula.

Army Gen. Xavier Brunson testifies during an Armed Services hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 17, 2024. [AP/YONHAP]

With the possibility of troop cuts being discussed more openly under the second Trump administration, Mahoney’s comments suggest that Washington’s stance may now be that U.S. troop levels can be reduced as long as capabilities remain intact.

"If confirmed, I will support the chairman and secretary of defense to review United States capabilities in Japan and South Korea and make recommendations," he said.

Analysts say this means upcoming documents like the new National Defense Strategy could reflect changes to the current 28,500-strong USFK presence.

Mahoney stressed the importance of the Korea-U.S. alliance, calling it a "linchpin for peace, stability and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and beyond." He said the U.S. troop presence in Korea provides a strong deterrent against aggression in Northeast Asia.

Still, on Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act for the 2025 fiscal year, which maintains language recommending that Washington keep about 28,500 troops in South Korea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, second from left, Chinese President Xi Jinping, third from left, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, fourth from left, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, fifth from left, and the heads of foreign delegations arrive to attend a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the end of World War II in Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Sept. 3. Photo provided by Kremlin pool. [EPA/YONHAP]

Mahoney also warned about deepening ties among North Korea, China, Russia and Iran, describing their cooperation as a "concerning and escalating military threat to U.S. national security."

He identified three main challenges: the possibility that other countries could intervene if the United States clashed with one of them, the risk of coordinated actions that could neutralize U.S. power and the sharing of intelligence and technology that could erode Washington's military edge.

To counter these threats, Mahoney urged greater burden-sharing by allies.

Regarding North Korea, he said that as Pyongyang's threats grow, "burden-sharing provides an avenue to enhance defense capacity."

He said Washington continues to call on Seoul and other allies to boost defense spending and strengthen their own military capacities to support conventional deterrence against regional threats.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KANG TAE-HWA [[email protected]]