Pentagon says South Korea will take primary role in deterring North Korea

The Pentagon foresees a "more limited" role in deterring North Korea, with South Korea taking primary responsibility, a Pentagon policy document released on Friday said. The National Defense Strategy said "South Korea is capable of taking primary responsibility for deterring North Korea with critical but more limited US support," and added the shift was "consistent with America’s interest in updating US force posture on the Korean Peninsula." South Korea hosts about 28,500 US troops and has raised its defence budget by 7.5% for this year.

The document noted some US officials have signalled a desire to make US forces in South Korea more flexible to operate outside the peninsula in response to broader threats such as defending Taiwan and checking China’s reach. South Korea has resisted shifting the role of US troops but has developed its capabilities over the past 20 years and has about 450,000 troops; the change is described as part of "alliance modernisation" under the Trump administration.

In a statement on Saturday, South Korea’s defence ministry said US Forces in Korea remained central to the alliance and would continue to deter North Korean aggression.

Key Topics

World, South Korea, Pentagon, North Korea, Us Forces Korea, National Defense Strategy