U.S. soldiers from the 11th Engineer Battalion and 2nd Infantry Combined Division participate in a joint river-crossing exercise with South Korean 5th Corps Engineer Brigade soldiers as part of the Freedom Shield 25 training exercise, in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi province, South Korea, in March. File photo by Eon Heon-Kyun/EPA
For more than 70 years, the Republic of Korea-United States alliance has not only prevented a resumption of war on the peninsula, but has also deterred the use of nuclear weapons for two decades.
This is a historic achievement, but the case for U.S. troops in Korea is fundamentally about the future, not the past. To secure American interests in a rapidly changing Asia-Indo-Pacific, and to ensure continued stability, prosperity and influence, the United States. requires a strong, forward-stationed military presence on the Korean Peninsula.
Enduring deterrence and strategic purpose
The ROK/U.S. alliance has been the linchpin of peace in Northeast Asia, succeeding where most alliances do not. This partnership endures because it has adapted to strategic realities and consistently served both nations’ interests.
Its forward presence is not simply about defending against a North Korean invasion, but also about shaping a regional security environment favorable to U.S. values and interests, promoting economic prosperity and deterring any form of aggression, be it from North Korea, China or elsewhere.
Mutual Defense Treaty: A vision beyond North Korea
The drafters of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and the ROK displayed remarkable prescience. Article II commits both nations to “maintain and develop appropriate means to deter armed attack and take suitable measures in consultation and agreement to implement this Treaty and further its purposes.”
Notably, the treaty never explicitly mentions North Korea. Article III identifies a broader purpose: countering threats “in the Pacific area,” making clear that the alliance is not just a relic of the Korean War, but rather a platform for ensuring regional security against any emerging threats.
This language anchors the ROK/U.S. alliance in the enduring goal of collective defense against any attack in the Pacific, cementing the alliance’s relevance for the future.
The alliance in a complex strategic environment
Today’s Asia-Indo-Pacific region is marked by growing authoritarian revisionism, nuclear proliferation, gray-zone provocations and intensified economic competition. China’s military expansion, the Russia-North Korea partnership and advances in North Korea’s missile and nuclear capabilities compound these risks.
In this environment, there is no viable alternative to a credible, forward U.S. presence. Offshore balancing or periodic engagement cannot substitute for the trust, interoperability and regional deterrence built through continual partnership and presence.
The ROK/U.S. alliance amplifies U.S. power far beyond Korea. It enables stability and prosperity vital to global supply chains, supports U.S. influence in multilateral settings and strengthens the broader network of American alliances essential for balancing emerging powers. The alliance also upholds democratic values, reinforcing a liberal international order in the face of authoritarian challenges.
A model of democratic partnership
South Korea is no longer solely a beneficiary of U.S. protection. It is a global pivotal state, aligned with the United States in securing a free, open and prosperous Asia-Indo-Pacific. The alliance is global and comprehensive, allowing the two nations to respond together to new threats, support international norms and contribute to peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. South Korea is a major partner in the arsenal of democracies.
Sustaining success: Forward presence as future insurance
The U.S. military presence in Korea is not a relic of the past. It is an investment in a stable and prosperous future. The alternative, as history teaches, is to invite misunderstanding and aggression.
Weakness and retrenchment do not purchase peace; they embolden adversaries and undermine American interests. The credibility and commitment provided by U.S. forces on the peninsula deter not only conventional and nuclear threats from the North, but also coercive efforts by regional powers to rewrite the geopolitical order.
For American readers skeptical of overseas presence, the record is clear: the ROK/U.S. alliance delivers outsized returns for peace and prosperity at home, supporting regional stability that underpins global economic growth and safeguards U.S. security interests for the next generation.
Conclusion
We must not look backward, resting on laurels earned in decades past. The United States does not maintain troops in Korea out of nostalgia, but to build a future where American interests and values continue to shape the region. The pathway to peace and prosperity in the Asia-Indo-Pacific is through a robust, modernized alliance, anchored by a steadfast U.S. presence that protects not only the Korean Peninsula, but also the interests of America and the free world.
Let’s build on success rather than set up for future failure.
Katchi Kapshida-We Go Together.
David Maxwell is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces colonel who has spent more than 30 years in the Asia Pacific region. He specializes in Northeast Asian security affairs and irregular, unconventional and political warfare. He is vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy and a senior fellow at the Global Peace Foundation. After he retired, he became associate director of the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. He is on the board of directors of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea and the OSS Society and is the editor at large for the Small Wars Journal.
