US defense funding bill aims to stop unilateral troop reduction in South Korea

The U.S. defense funding bill for the next fiscal year will seek to prevent a unilateral reduction of the 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea amid reports that the Trump administration may shift military assets to tackle other regional threats.

The final version of 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) released Sunday requires the Pentagon to maintain its active-duty troop numbers in South Korea unless it informs Congress of its plans in advance.