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USFK troop drawdown not being discussed: Defense Ministry

Published: 30 Apr. 2026, 13:11

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the White House in Washington on April 29. [AP/YONHAP]

South Korea and the United States are not discussing a drawdown of the 28,500-strong U.S. forces stationed in Korea, a Ministry of National Defense official said Thursday, after U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration is weighing a possible reduction of U.S. troops in Germany.

Trump said in a social media post that the United States is "studying and reviewing" the possible reduction of troops in Germany, with the decision possibly to be made "over the next short period of time."

The remarks followed a Wall Street Journal report that Washington is considering punishing some NATO allies for turning down his calls for naval assistance to help secure the Strait of Hormuz in light of the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict.

“There have been no discussions at all between South Korea and the United States on the reduction of U.S. Forces Korea [USFK]," a ministry official said.

“The primary mission of USFK is to maintain a robust combined defense posture with the South Korean military to deter and respond to North Korean aggression and provocations," the official said.

"South Korea and the United States will continue to consult closely to ensure the stable stationing of USFK and strengthen their combined defense posture," the official added.

The possibility of a U.S. troop drawdown in South Korea, however, remains, as the Trump administration is pushing to "modernize" alliances by calling on allies to shoulder a greater share of their own defense.

Observers have raised concerns that such U.S. efforts could lead to adjustments in the posture of USFK, potentially weakening deterrence against evolving North Korean threats.

USFK Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson reiterated in a hearing in the U.S. Senate last week that the troop presence should matter more in terms of capabilities rather than numbers.

Brunson has also underscored USFK's role in a broader regional context beyond the Korean Peninsula, in what the United States sees as part of efforts to ensure greater operational flexibility in the Indo-Pacific region, mainly to deter an assertive China.

Yonhap