Anchor: The United States is reportedly considering withdrawing thousands of its troops from South Korea. Quoting defense officials familiar with the discussions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the U.S. Defense Department is looking at plans to pull approximately 45-hundred U.S. troops out of South Korea and redeploy them elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific region. Experts in Seoul told KBS World that the Trump administration may be seeking to reshape its global military presence. 
Kim Bum-soo has more. 

Report: A proposal is under development at the Pentagon to relocate some 45-hundred U.S. troops from South Korea to other Indo-Pacific locations, such as Guam, according to the Wall Street Journal on Thursday. 

That’s more than 15 percent of the 28-thousand-500 American troops stationed in South Korea.

Calling it one of several ideas that senior officials are exploring, the newspaper said it hasn’t yet been reported to U.S. President Donald Trump.

During his first term in office, Trump brought up the possibility of withdrawing American troops from the peninsula while demanding changes to the defense cost-sharing deal with South Korea. 

Military experts in Seoul told KBS World that this time, the U.S. may be seeking more than a bargaining chip in Trump’s “pay more or else” diplomacy. 

[Sound bite: Retired Lt. Gen. Chun In-bum] 
“So the question is, is the mission of the United States Forces Korea oriented towards the Korean Peninsula, or is it a regional role that is inevitable?”

Retired Lt. Gen. Chun In-bum is an expert on South Korea-U.S. military strategy.

He says the expansion of USFK’s role, beyond deterring and defending against North Korea, appears inevitable. 

[Sound bite: Retired Lt. Gen. Chun In-bum] 
“Basically, the United States is trying to do more with less. ... The United States military is looking at a 20 percent budgetary cut within the next four years, and the personnel are also going to be drawn down. So, with less troops, they are trying to do what they are doing now, or do more. So the troops in Korea are naturally affected. But then again, it’s not just the troops in Korea. It’s US troops around the world.” 

Regional security expert Dr. Jo Bee-yun at the Sejong Institute says that not only does USFK need to increase its regional scope — so does the South Korean military.

[Sound bite: Dr. Jo Bee-yun - Research Fellow, Sejong Institute]
“It’s not just the U.S.’ problem here that it has to look at multiple adversaries at once. I think Seoul is also experiencing that we will have to deal with more problems than just North Korea. We saw recent reports of China beginning to install objects in the West Sea, and we do see the DPRK and Russia in a very, very, maybe unprecedented level of synchronization, a revival of their mutual defense pact.”

[Sound bite: Retired Lt. Gen. Chun In-bum] 
“There is no question that USFK’s main mission is to defend the Republic of Korea, deter war and if war does come, defeat the enemy as soon as possible. That is their main mission for sure. But at the same time, if something is happening close by, it’s only natural, forces will be redirected.” 

The defense ministry in Seoul told reporters on Friday that there haven’t been any discussions with Washington on the matter. 

Experts also say a troop drawdown is unlikely anytime soon since Washington is still dealing with uncertainties surrounding the war in Ukraine.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.