Senior Seoul official notes possibility of USFK role change due to 'various factors'
WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- A senior South Korean official made a rare mention Thursday of a possible change in the role of the US Forces Korea (USFK), amid speculation that US President Donald Trump's administration may seek to shift the focus of its mission to deterring China rather than countering North Korean threats.
The official made the remarks in a meeting with South Korean correspondents in Washington as the Trump administration is seeking to "modernize" the South Korea-US alliance to make it "strategically sustainable" in the midst of an intensifying Sino-US rivalry.
"I think there can be a change in the role and character of the USFK due to various factors," he said.
The official pointed to the evolving international security environment, technological shifts and a "growing strategic role" of China, as he enumerated the factors that could drive a possible shift in the role of the 28,500-strong USFK.
However, he cautioned against misconstruing his remarks, saying his talk of a possible change in the USFK role does not mean he concurs on the US view in support of the change.
"Allies cannot see eye to eye perfectly with each other on everything," he said.
As the Pentagon is working on crafting its National Defense Strategy to prioritize deterring China, speculation has persisted that the Trump administration might pursue greater "strategic flexibility" of the USFK to use it for a wider range of security operations beyond the Korean Peninsula.
Opponents of a shift in the USFK role argue that it could lead to a weakening of efforts by Seoul and Washington to deter North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats, and that the potential use of the USFK for a mission against China would needlessly put Seoul in a geopolitically challenging position.
US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby has advocated for a shift in the USFK mission, saying American troops in South Korea should not be "held hostage to dealing with the North Korean problem."
The future direction of USFK operations is likely to be a key agenda item as South Korea and the US are expected to have earnest discussions on a shared understanding of where their longstanding alliance should be headed for.
The official's remarks came after Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held his first talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio since the launch of President Lee Jae Myung's administration.
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