President Trump has instructed the Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, a move that carries significant implications for the security architecture of the Korean Peninsula and the broader Indo-Pacific region. The US currently maintains approximately 28,500 troops in South Korea, a presence that dates back to the Korean War armistice in 1953. The Pentagon’s January 2026 National Defense Strategy explicitly outlines a more limited US role on the peninsula, with South Korea taking primary responsibility for deterring North Korea. Japan, which hosts roughly 54,000 US military personnel, will be watching closely, while congressional opposition could complicate implementation.
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