Report to Congress on the U.S.-South Korea Alliance

The following is the March 5, 2025, Congressional Research Service report, U.S.-South Korea Alliance: Background and Issues for Congress. From the Report In the wake of the Korean War (1950-53), the United States and South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea, or ROK) forged an alliance that remains one of the United States’ most significant military arrangements in Asia. Under the Mutual Defense Treaty that took effect in 1954, the United States and South Korea committed to defend each other against armed attack. Today, about 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea. The alliance has traditionally focused on perceived