South Korea takes primary North Korea deterrence role in USA policy shift

South Korea will assume primary responsibility for deterring North Korea as the Pentagon shifts to a more limited support role under a new National Defense Strategy.The policy document emphasizes alliance modernization and suggests making the 28,500 USA troops stationed in the country more flexible to counter Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific.While President Lee Jae Myung advocates for greater defense autonomy, the new strategy notably omits previous goals regarding the complete denuclearization of the peninsula.