Amid a review of U.S. troop realignment around the world under the new Trump administration, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea(USFK) has stressed what he called the positional advantage of stationing U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula. 

Xavier Brunson expressed the view on Wednesday during a hearing at the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, when asked about the benefits of stationing U.S. troops on the peninsula. 

Brunson said that capacities aside, the capabilities that are resident within the Korean theater of operations are “right where they need to be.”

His remarks appear to indicate that the USFK not only plays a role in deterring provocations from North Korea but also in keeping China in check in terms of the U.S.-China competition.

Brunson also emphasized in a written statement to the committee that the USFK presence is essential, as the Indo-Pacific region is still important to U.S. national interests.