US think tank proposes slashing USFK troops in Seoul to 10,000

US soldiers stand during a military event at Camp Casey in Dongducheon South Korea on June 18 2025 — U.S. soldiers attend a military event at Camp Casey in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province on June 18, 2025. Yonhap

SEOUL, July 10 (AJP) - A Washington-based think tank has proposed cutting the number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea by more than half, according to a report released on Wednesday.

Stressing the need to "revise the U.S. global military posture to be consistent with protecting vital national interests," the report by Defense Priorities argued that the U.S. should cut its military presence in South Korea "by more than 50 percent, leaving about 10,000 personnel along with two fighter squadrons (including a larger super squadron) and support forces."

Currently, there are about 28,500 the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) troops in South Korea.

Written by Jennifer Kavanagh, a senior fellow at the think tank, and Dan Caldwell, former chief adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the report said that South Korea "has a significant conventional military advantage over its neighbor to the North, and so should be able to effectively defend itself even without U.S. support, if not immediately then in the near term.”

As part of the rationale for the proposed reduction, it wrote, "Seoul has not offered the United States unrestricted contingency access to use its bases for operations elsewhere in the theater during a conflict. Forces remaining in South Korea might be sidelined in the event of a regional war."

Pointing to "China's growing military power," the report said, "It is increasingly unrealistic for the United States to maintain a position of hegemony in Asia. It is entirely plausible, however, for the United States to balance Chinese power and prevent it from gaining its own hegemonic position."

The report also called for similar reductions worldwide. In Europe, it recommended cutting ground troops from 90,000 to 30,000, while in the Middle East, it suggested reducing troop levels from 40,000 to 25,000.

Caldwell, who was stepped down from his position earlier this year over his alleged involvement in a security breach known as "SignalGate," is no longer in government but reportedly remains influential in conservative circles.

The proposal comes amid U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated demands for greater defense cost-sharing from Seoul.

Im Yoon-seo lyseo0330@ajupress.com