The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the Trump administration is considering a withdrawal of troops, as many as 4,500 from South Korea. While this reporting has been denied by the White House and the Pentagon, what would a potential withdrawal mean for our force posture on the Korean Peninsula, our deterrence against North Korea and for the U.S.-Korea alliance?
CSIS’ Victor Cha walks through the implications of U.S. troop withdrawal, explains the history of U.S. troop commitment in Korea since 1953, and discusses President Trump’s inaction over North Korea’s provocations.