The US decision may lead to a reduction in the number of American soldiers on the Korean Peninsula. South Korea hosts approximately 28,500. American soldiers as part of joint defense against the military threat from North Korea. Seoul increased its defense budget by 7.5 percent this year. percent
“South Korea is able to assume primary responsibility for deterring North Korea with crucial but more limited U.S. support,” the Pentagon said in its 25-page policy-setting National Defense Strategy, reported by Reuters.
“This change in the balance of responsibility is consistent with the United States' interest in updating the deployment of U.S. forces on the Korean Peninsula,” it said.
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“It doesn't require a regime change”
In recent years, U.S. officials have signaled a desire to increase the flexibility of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea so that they could potentially operate beyond the Korean Peninsula to respond to a broader range of threats — such as defending Taiwan or containing China's growing military influence.
South Korea has opposed the idea of changing the role of U.S. troops, but has spent the past 20 years working to strengthen its defense capabilities to be able to take command of a combined U.S.-South Korean force in war. South Korea has 450,000. soldiers.
The Pentagon's top policy official, Elbridge Colby, is scheduled to travel to Asia next week and, a U.S. official said, is expected to visit South Korea.
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Pentagon priorities
The wide-ranging document states that the Pentagon's priority is homeland defense. In the Indo-Pacific region, the Pentagon is focused on ensuring that China is unable to dominate the United States or its allies.
“It does not require regime change or other existential struggle. A decent peace is possible, on terms favorable to Americans, but ones that China can also accept and operate under,” the document said, without mentioning Taiwan by name.
“The US is not trying to strangle or humiliate China.”
The Financial Times emphasizes that The United States will strengthen its military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region to prevent China from blocking American access to a region that is becoming a global center of economic power.
The NDS states that U.S. security and prosperity are linked to America's ability to “trade and engage from a position of strength in the Indo-Pacific.”
The document noted that if China dominated the Indo-Pacific, it could “effectively veto American access to the world's economic center of gravity.” The document also called on allies to increase their collective defense efforts in the region.
It was also stated that the US would “build a strong barrage defense along the first island chain”, i.e. the Indo-Pacific area stretching from Japan, through Taiwan and the Philippines, to Borneo and the Malay Peninsula.
The strategy emphasized that Trump seeks “a stable peace, fair trade and respectful relationship with China,” but from a “position of strength.” It added that the Pentagon would expand communication with the Chinese military to support “strategic stability” with Beijing.
NDS stressed that the US is not trying to dominate, suffocate or humiliate China. “Our goal is simple: to prevent anyone – including China – from dominating us or our allies,” it stressed.
The document also assessed that Russia will remain “a persistent but manageable threat to eastern NATO members for the foreseeable future.” In turn, with regard to the Middle East, it was stated that Iran remains the greatest threat and seems “determined to rebuild its conventional armed forces” and may again try to build nuclear weapons.
