Seoul signals shift on USFK role as Korea, US seek modernized alliance

South Korea and the United States may discuss an expanded role for U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) from its current function of deterring North Korean threats to addressing wider regional issues in the Indo-Pacific, a ranking Seoul official has signaled. While the U.S. has sought to make the change under the label of a “modernized alliance,” primarily as a means of checking China’s increasing influence in the region, it marks the first time a top Korean official has acknowledged the possibility. “It is possible that the role and nature of USFK can change for various reasons,” the senior official told Korean correspondents in Washington, Thursday (local time), on condition of anonymity. As for those reasons, the official cited “evolving geopolitics, technological shifts and the growing strategic influence of China.” At its core, modernizing the alliance means expanding USFK’s focus from deterring North Korea to include “strategic flexibility,” which refers to the Pentagon’s long-standing position that American troops stationed in Korea should be able to respond to crises beWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times