A U.S.
Army Chinook helicopter takes off from Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, July 29, 2025.
Yonhap A former Pentagon official said Tuesday that expanded "strategic flexibility" of the U.S. troops stationed in South Korea would strengthen deterrence and help create a more stable security environment in the Indo-Pacific, calling for the Seoul-Washington alliance to move in that direction with "a sense of urgency." Randall Schriver, former U.S. assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, made the remarks at a forum, referring to the concept of using the 28,500-strong U.S.
Forces Korea (USFK) in operations beyond the Korean Peninsula to address China-related contingencies.
It is seen as a shift from the USFK's primary focus on deterring North Korea.
