Democrats press Defense Secretary Esper to commit to maintaining U.S. troop levels in Korea

Four top national security Democrats on Capitol Hill are urging on Defense Secretary Mark Esper to commit to maintaining the current U.S. troop levels on the Korean Peninsula.

President Trump has repeatedly moved to fulfill a campaign promise of lessening U.S. military commitments abroad and officials have floated the possibility of reducing the number of American troops stationed in South Korea. However, a House version of the massive $740 billion defense policy bill would apply the brakes to troop drawdowns in Africa and South Korea.

“A robust forward-deployed posture by the Alliance, including US forces, is crucial to maintain our deterrence posture with North Korea and assure that the alliance remains prepared to ’fight tonight’ to deter our adversaries,” argued Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee; Rep. Eliot L. Engel of New York, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee; and Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations committee.

“Anything less risks eroding the alliance’s deterrent posture with dangerous implications for destabilization on the Peninsula, and will make only success in pursuing peace, stability and denuclearization with North Korea more challenging to achieve,” they said.

In a summary of the National Defense Authorization Act as drafted by Mr. Smith earlier this year, the sweeping defense policy legislation would require the Pentagon to submit a report on the impacts of a troop reduction in Africa and would prohibit using military funds to withdraw troops in South Korea below the current level of 28,500.

U.S. intelligence and defense experts have warned that China and Russia would quickly fill any security vacuum left by the U.S. in the event of a pullback.