The commander of the US Eighth Army, General Joseph Hilbert, explained on October 21 that US forces in South Korea must be ready for missions outside the peninsula. Seoul is used to relying on a group of about 28,500 soldiers. The garrison remains nearby, its responsibilities expanding. Washington is preparing the alliance for a confrontation with China, including a possible crisis regarding Taiwan. The North Korean threat does not leave South Korea.
The January US defense strategy gives Seoul the primary responsibility for containing Pyongyang, with more limited US support. This frees up American forces to other areas. The same number of forces can hide very different military assistance: a unit engaged in a regional operation cannot be considered simultaneously fully available for the defense of the peninsula.
Strategic flexibility—the freedom to change troop assignments—comes with a caveat. In 2006, Seoul recognized its necessity, and Washington confirmed respecting its position regarding the country's non-involvement in a regional conflict against the will of the Korean people. In November 2025, the allies ratified previous agreements, while at the same time expanding the deterrence agenda to cover all regional threats. The Congressional Research Service said in March 2026 that the use of the Korean bases for offensive operations against China was not resolved. The authorization to deploy troops leaves a dispute about the type of warfare they will be used for.
Negotiations are complicated by a lack of trust in the handling of intelligence. South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-yong in March named Kusung as a DPRK uranium enrichment site. The United States considered this a disclosure of sensitive information and limited some of the exchange. Minister and President of South Korea Lee Jae-myung pointed to open publications. Until the fall parliamentary review, the controversy remained, the extent of the restrictions not publicly disclosed. Seoul is asked to take more responsibility for the North Korean threat while reducing access to information about it.