US forces in South Korea pivot to focus on threat of China

5 comments

1. For more than 70 years, since the end of the Korean War in 1953, tens of thousands of American troops have been based in South Korea to deter and repel a North Korean invasion. Now the future of the long-established alliance has been thrown into doubt as the Trump administration seeks to reorder its forces against what it identifies as a greater threat: China.

   Behind the scenes, and without any significant public debate in South Korea, senior US officers have been briefing foreign governments, security experts and journalists on their plans for a profound change. Instead of defending only against North Korea, American forces stationed on the peninsula will be called upon to respond to conflict in other parts of east Asia — above all a Chinese attempt to invade the self-ruling democratic island of Taiwan.

   The adoption of what is referred to as “strategic flexibility” will require a change to the composition, and perhaps the numbers, of US personnel in South Korea, who amount to more than 28,500 at present. And it will infuriate [China](https://www.thetimes.com/topic/china) and alarm those South Koreans who are reluctant to be enlisted in the emerging superpower struggle between Washington and Beijing.

   “Strategic flexibility is what everyone pursues,” General Xavier Brunson, commander of US Forces Korea told an online seminar recently, according to reports in South Korean media. “We must be able to deploy our forces outside of [South Korea](https://www.thetimes.com/topic/south-korea) to ensure peace through strength.”

2. US forces prefer to focus on threats that are non-existent. Thats safe and thats what they do best.

   They failed to contain North Korea but “want to focus on China”. It must be a joke.

3. US forces on the Korean Peninsula are in a terrible strategic position. The North on one side and China just about everywhere else. I also have zero confidence in the current administration’s ability to elevate that compromised strategic position so if China ever decides to attack Taiwan or US forces in South Korea, I really, really hope it’s not the bloodbath it’s seemingly gearing up to be.

4. TBF South Korea really doesn’t need much help deterring North Korea, especially with all the signs that they have giveb up on reuniting the south last year.

   Not sure how the freshly elected leftist SK government would react to the explicit intention to use South Korea as a forward base against China

5. Wasn’t the new president of South Korea less inclined to the US and said to be open to warmer ties with China?

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