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Camp Humphreys, a US base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. (Yonhap)
The 2026 Nationwide Protection Technique launched by the US on Friday states that South Korea might want to take cost of defending in opposition to the North Korean menace with “essential however extra restricted US assist.”
The Trump administration’s adoption of the precept of US allies taking up an even bigger position of their protection on this key doc outlining threats and setting protection priorities factors to elementary modifications in Washington’s method to protection of the Korean Peninsula.
“South Korea is able to taking main duty for deterring North Korea with essential however extra restricted US assist,” the Pentagon stated within the doc.
The 2026 Nationwide Protection Technique — which is subordinate to the Nationwide Safety Technique, launched final December — confirms that the US intends to keep up prolonged deterrence, often known as the nuclear umbrella, by its strategic property. However it additionally clarifies that the US will focus its strategic capabilities on defending the American homeland and countering China and that South Korea must turn out to be much less depending on the alliance and take the lead on the battlefield by the operation of standard forces.
The US’ official declaration of a strategic realignment of the ROK-US alliance with Seoul assuming main duty suggests the US will speed up the timeframe for reconfiguring US troop presence in Korea and handing over wartime operational management (OPCON) of South Korean forces.
“Protection autonomy is the sine qua non amid geopolitical uncertainty. It’s inconceivable that South Korea, which has the world’s fifth strongest army, can be unable to defend itself,” South Korean President Lee Jae Myung wrote on the social media platform X on Saturday.
Lee’s remarks counsel he means to push ahead resolutely along with his coverage of protection autonomy, together with his marketing campaign pledge to finish the OPCON handover earlier than leaving workplace.
Notably, the brand new US protection doc states that “this shift within the stability of duty is per America’s curiosity in updating US power posture on the Korean Peninsula.” The implication is that these modifications might allow an adjustment of the dimensions and scope of US Forces Korea, or USFK.
Some suspect which means USFK’s mission will probably be refocused from defending in opposition to North Korea to countering China.
And whereas the doc describes North Korea’s nuclear arsenal as presenting “a transparent and current hazard of nuclear assault on the American Homeland,” there’s considerably no point out of the purpose of denuclearization. The Trump administration is presumably firming down its calls for to make room for future dialogue with North Korea, based mostly on the belief that denuclearization is not a possible purpose.
Instantly after the technique doc was launched, Elbridge Colby, the US undersecretary of protection for coverage, launched into a visit to Korea and Japan. Colby reportedly performed an instrumental position in devising the brand new technique.
Following a gathering with South Korean Protection Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Monday, Colby will stay in Korea till Tuesday for conferences with high-ranking officers in international coverage and nationwide safety. The agenda of these conferences is predicted to incorporate adjusting USFK’s position, transferring OPCON and rising protection spending.
Throughout his time in Korea, Colby will even reportedly go to the US army base at Camp Humphreys, in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.
By Park Min-hee, senior employees author; Kim Gained-chul, Washington correspondent
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