Seoul balks at Taiwan role for US troops stationed in South Korea
‘Discussions necessary’: Lee Jae-myung says it is difficult to agree to strategic flexibility as Trump looks to shift USFK focus to China
Seoul may be reluctant to support the White House’s call for South Korea-based US troops to shift their focus from the North to a Taiwan conflict but it might be forced to get behind the strategy, according to analysts.
“This is not an issue we can easily agree with,” said Lee, who became president in June.
“Instead, discussions on a future-oriented strategic transformation of USFK are necessary from our perspective as well.”
For the past 70 years, US troops have been stationed in South Korea to deter aggression from the North and to defend the South from an attack.
However, the administration under US President Donald Trump has pushed to “modernise” the role of the 28,500 troops to allow greater flexibility in its role, especially in countering Beijing and possibly mobilising in a potential contingency in the Taiwan Strait.
Although it was forecast to be a key agenda item in the summit between Trump and Lee, the issue was sidelined when the two leaders met on Monday.