US President Donald Trump’s administration is considering withdrawing around 4,500 American troops from South Korea and redeploying them to the Indo-Pacific region, including the Pacific island of Guam.
The initiative, developed by the Pentagon, continues the course set during Trump’s first term, when he repeatedly raised the issue of reducing the US military presence in South Korea, where about 28,500 American soldiers are currently stationed. According to the plan, part of the contingent could be transferred to Guam, a strategic US base in the Pacific, and other locations in the region.
The proposal is being prepared for consideration by Trump as part of an informal review of Washington’s policy towards North Korea. However, the final decision will depend on developments in Ukraine: US officials stress that the issue of troop reductions in Asia will not be decided until the prospects for military support for Kyiv become clearer.
At the same time, on May 15, Trump announced that the US would retain its base in Bagram, Afghanistan.
On April 17, the South Korean and US air forces began joint military exercises called Freedom Flag. About 90 aircraft took part in the exercises.
