Would The U.S. Withdraw Troops From South Korea?

American troops have been stationed on the Korean Peninsula for nearly 70 years and have become a political issue tied to nuclear negotiations. North Korea wants U.S. forces removed as part of any deal. South Korea wants the troops to remain to support its defense. President Trump has considered reducing troop numbers to save money and has said South Korea and Japan would shoulder much of the cost for any U.S. military operations. The U.S. has about 28,000 service members in the region, and their current activities focus on training. Annual joint exercises such as Foal Eagle include live-fire drills with artillery, tanks, helicopters, and warplanes to simulate a North Korean invasion and improve coordination and readiness.

"American troops have been stationed on the Korean Peninsula for nearly 70 years. More recently they've become something of a political football. North Korea wants them out as part of any nuclear deal. South Korea wants them to stay to help with its defense. And President Trump is considering reducing their numbers to save money."

"When the president recently canceled the planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, U.S. defense spending in the region was also apparently on his mind. He said South Korea and Japan are not only ready should North Korea take any "foolish or reckless acts," but those countries would "shoulder much of the cost of any financial burden" on the United States for any military operations."

"The U.S. has about 28,000 service members on the Korean Peninsula. Currently, the operations they engage in are for training. Each year, U.S. and South Korean troops dash along a wooded trail at a training range north of Seoul. Some fire machine guns and launch mortars. Others are in tanks or warplanes, trying to push back an imagined invasion."

""You are trying to coordinate and synchronize artillery, maneuver, direct fire from tanks and helicopter," says retired Army Gen. Walter "Skip" Sharp, who commanded U.S. forces in South Korea for three years until 2011. "And all of that being done in a live-fire scenario. You'll bring targets up in sequence like someone is attacking." That someone being North Korean forces, streaming across the border."

Read at www.npr.org