
Seoul should set new bottom line for USFK: expert
'South Korean officials and experts' current discussions, in dealing with Washington's talks of strategic flexibility of the USFK, are focused on maintaining the current situation or reacting to the US' moves,' Jo Bee-yun, a research fellow at Sejong Institute said in a report.
'However, Seoul must take a proactive approach (toward the issue) and prevent any radical adjustments to the USFK,' she added.
The report comes amid growing speculation that Washington may reduce and reconfigure the USFK to prioritize deterrence of Chinese threats. A May report by the Wall Street Journal indicated that Washington was reviewing wheter to relocate 4,500 troops from South Korea to other areas in the Indo-Pacific region.
US President Donald Trump has been also putting pressure on Seoul to sharply increase its spending on national defense or pay more fo the cost of stationing the USFK on the peninsula.
He recently took a jab at the latest South Korea-US defense cost-sharing deal, dubbed, the Special Measures Agreement, signed under the previous Joe Biden administration last year, saying falsely that the cost was reduced 'to nothing.' The latest SMA for the 2026-2030 period states that Korea is to pay 1.52 trillion won ($1.11 billion) next year, up from 1.4 trillion won this year.
In this regard, Jo pointed out that the gap between the stance on security priorities between Seoul and Washington are growing wider.
'South Korea prioritizes responding to threats from North Korea due to its geopolitical conditions, but the US is attempting to expand the strategic flexibility of the USFK with the focus on deterring threats from China — this has led to a widened gap between stances on security,' she explained.
To prevent further security risks, Jo claimed Seoul must first admit the possibility of a USFK troop reduction and set a new baseline that could help maintain the strength of the South Korea-US alliance and Washington's commitment to extended deterrence.
Specifically, Seoul would need to propose to Washington about maintaining at least 15,000 troops on the peninsula, as well as the current level of the 'Super Squadron' formation test, an initiative by the US Air Force, to consolidate a larger number of F-16 fighter jets into a single squadron at Osan Air Base. The test is aimed enhancing combat effectiveness.
Seoul should also pursue permanent deployment of an F-35A wing, a radar-evading aircraft, to Kunsan Air Base and request Washington to continue to send four-star generals to lead the USFK, she added.
Advancing and developing conventional-nuclear integration options, under which South Korea mobilizes its conventional military assets to back America's nuclear operations in a crisis scenario, would be another key step, Jo noted.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Korea Herald
7 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Russia to launch first Moscow-Pyongyang direct flights in decades: report
Russia was set to start operating direct passenger flights between Moscow and North Korea's Pyongyang for the first time in about three decades, Reuters reported Sunday. The inaugural flight, operated by Nordwind Airlines, is scheduled to depart from Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow at 7 p.m. (local time), marking the first regular air connection between the two capitals since the mid-1990s, Reuters said, citing Russia's RIA state news agency. The eight-hour flight will be operated by a Boeing 777-200ER with a seating capacity of 440 passengers, Reuters said, adding that tickets started at US$563 and the first flight quickly sold out. Russia's civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, has granted Nordwind Airlines permission to operate flights of the route twice a week, though the schedule will begin with one flight per month for now "to help build stable demand," the report said. Until now, the only direct air route between the two nations was Air Koryo's service from Pyongyang to Vladivostok in Russia's Far East three times a week. The move came as the two countries have sought to strengthen bilateral ties following Russia's war with Ukraine in 2022. In June, the two nations also resumed passenger rail service between Moscow and Pyongyang.


Korea Herald
10 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Saluting the sacrifice of UNC veterans
Five foreign veterans of the United Nations Command who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War were greeted with a standing ovation from a crowd of over 1,000 at Kintex in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, where a ceremony was held to mark UN Forces Participation Day, observed annually on July 27. The national day of remembrance to honor the sacrifices and contributions of UN veterans also marks the date when the armistice agreement was signed to halt the Korean War in 1953. Throughout the three-year conflict, more than 1.9 million personnel from 22 countries served under the UNC flag, providing combat, medical and logistical support. During the ceremony, the South Korean government posthumously presented the Order of Taegeuk Military Merit, the country's highest military honor, to the late US veteran Fred McGee. From January to November 1952, McGee served in the US Army as a private first class with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok entered the venue pushing the wheelchair of a veteran who had difficulty walking. 'Our alliance has grown stronger, and together we will continue moving toward a future of peace and prosperity,' Kim said during his speech. 'Despite the sacrifices made by the UN forces and our own efforts 75 years ago, the pain of division still lingers,' he added, pledging to expand scholarship programs and exchange camps for the descendants of Korean War veterans.


Korea Herald
14 hours ago
- Korea Herald
S. Korea's foreign population reaches all-time high of 2.73 million
South Korea's foreign population has reached an all-time high of more than 2.73 million, data showed Sunday. The number of foreign nationals staying in the country for purposes including education, employment or tourism stood at just under 2,733,000 as of the end of June, marking a 1.5 percent increase (40,068 people) from the previous month, according to data from the Korea Immigration Service under the Ministry of Justice. Of the total, some 1.55 million were long-term foreign residents staying 90 days or more, who registered personal information such as name, date of birth and purpose of stay with local immigration offices. Half of these registered foreigners were found to reside in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan area. The Yeongnam region, which includes major cities such as Daegu, Busan and Ulsan, was home to 317,286 (20.3 percent), followed by 200,939 (12.9 percent) in the Chungcheong region and 136,990 (8.8 percent) in the Honam region. Another 552,000 of the total foreign resident population were overseas Koreans holding F-4 visas, who established a place of residence and reported it to their local immigration office, entitling them to rights similar to those of Korean citizens, such as opening bank accounts and enrolling in the national health insurance program. The remaining 620,000 foreign nationals were short-term visitors staying fewer than 90 days, most of whom were tourists. Chinese account for one in three The largest share of foreign residents was held by Chinese nationals with 972,176, accounting for 35.6 percent of the total. They were followed by Vietnamese (341,153), Americans (196,664), Thais (173,710) and Uzbeks (98,457). When categorized by visa type, F-4 visa holders, who are foreign nationals of Korean ancestry, represented the largest group, totaling 554,895. Following them were 341,453 foreign nationals on E-9 visas, issued under the Employment Permit System, which permits stays of up to three years. Launched in 2004, the temporary worker program allows small and mid-sized companies facing labor shortages to legally hire foreign workers for low-skilled jobs. F-5 permanent residency visa holders came next at 214,036, followed by 191,297 on D-2 student visas and 171,063 on B-2 tourist visas. By age, foreign residents in their 30s made up the largest segment at 25.7 percent, followed by those in their 20s (23.1 percent), 40s (16.7 percent), 60 and older (13.5 percent), 50s (12.3 percent) and under 19 (8.7 percent). The previous all-time high foreign population was recorded in 2019 at around 2.52 million, but the figure declined for two consecutive years amid the COVID-19 pandemic, falling to 2.04 million in 2020 and 1.96 million in 2021. But as COVID-19 reached the endemic stage, the figure rebounded to about 2.51 million in 2023 and rose further to 2.65 million last year. This year, the number peaked at 2.72 million in March, then dipped to 2.71 million in April and 2.69 million in May, before reaching a new record high of 2.73 million in June.