I think any decision to reduce USFK troop numbers will be highly dependent on the ROK government supporting U.S. troops being used for off peninsula contingencies:

Deputy Defense Minister for Policy Cho Chang-rae (R) and U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) (C) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) pose for a photo during their talks on May 31, 2025, on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual defense forum in Singapore, in this photo provided by South Korea’s defense ministry.

A senior South Korean defense official has underscored the importance of maintaining the current troop level of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) during meetings with U.S. lawmakers Saturday, the South’s defense ministry said.

The move came amid speculation that the United States may partially pull out the USFK to seek “strategic flexibility” to better deal with an assertive China.

Deputy Defense Minister for Policy Cho Chang-rae made the point as he met with U.S. congressional delegations representing the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively, on the margins of the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual defense forum in Singapore. Cho attended the gathering instead of acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho.

In the talks, Cho emphasized the South Korean military and the USFK should continue to work together to maintain regional peace and stability by enhancing deterrence against North Korea on the Korean Peninsula on the back of a firm combined defense posture, the ministry said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

The article is claiming declining voter turn out is bad news for the conservative Presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo. I think this is because many conservatives voter know the race was lost when Kim Moon-soo could not create a combined ticket with Lee Jun-seok and are staying home. With liberals united around Lee Jae-myung the conservatives unless something extraordinary happens, have no way to win this election with a divided vote:

Public officials on May 30 move boxes filled with ballots cast during the presidential election’s early voting period in Seoul. [YONHAP]

“Early voting turnout in the Daegu-North Gyeongsang region had dropped compared to the last presidential election — from 37.66 percent to 28.69 percent — despite both major parties encouraging early voting because voter sentiment has not solidified as much as expected,” said Cho Gwi-dong, head of political strategy at Min Political Consulting. 
  
“The real variable is how many of these disheartened voters can be mobilized for Election Day.” 
  
Much also depends on whether swing voters and anti-Lee Jae-myung conservatives gravitate toward People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo or Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok. Analysts suggest these voters remain undecided, caught between a “bandwagon effect” favoring the perceived front-runner and an “underdog effect” that draws support to a surging outsider. 
  
“This election is fundamentally unfavorable to the PPP because it was the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol that led to the snap election in the first place,” said Lee Jae-mook, a professor of political science at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

This confirms that the Pentagon is looking at how to adjust force posture in the Indo-Pacific and it could mean there could be change coming to USFK or not. We will eventually see what options for force posture changes the Pentagon decides upon:

A senior U.S. defense official underscored the need Thursday to “modernize” the alliance with South Korea and “calibrate” U.S. force posture on the Korean Peninsula to deter China, apparently leaving open the possibility of an adjustment to the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) presence.

In a press briefing, the official pointed out Washington’s desire to work with the incoming Seoul government to ensure that the bilateral partnership is “strategically sustainable,” as South Korea is set to pick a new president in an election set for Tuesday.

The official’s remarks followed a recent news report that the Pentagon is considering withdrawing roughly 4,500 troops of the 28,500-strong USFK and moving them to other locations in the Indo-Pacific, including Guam. The Pentagon has dismissed the report as untrue.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Please leave anything you want to discuss in the comments section.

With Lee Jae-myung leading by double digits in the polls this massive early voter turn out means there are a far fewer people to convince to change their vote in the upcoming days for the conservatives:

The two-day early voting began at 3,568 polling stations nationwide earlier in the day. The official election is slated for next Tuesday.

An all-time high of 19.58 percent of voters cast their ballots Thursday on the first day of early voting for the upcoming presidential election to elect the successor to former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted over his failed martial law bid.

More than 8.69 million out of 44,391,871 registered voters, or 19.58 percent, cast their ballots from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Election Commission (NEC).

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

For an organization that has been facing accusations of voter fraud, so much so that it was one of the reasons former President Yoon tried to declare martial law, this is not a good look:

Police are stationed at the Gusinchon-dong community center where ballots were allegedly taken outside the polling station on May 29 in western Seoul. [JOONGANG ILBO]

On the first day of early voting for the 21st presidential election, dozens of ballot papers were seen outside a polling station in Seoul, sparking controversy and raising concerns regarding electoral integrity. 
  
The National Election Commission (NEC) acknowledged the incident Thursday and attributed it to administrative mismanagement.

According to the NEC and eyewitnesses, between 11 a.m. and noon Thursday, a number of people were spotted holding ballot papers and return envelopes outside the early voting site at the Gusinchon-dong Community Center in Seodaemun District, western Seoul. 
  
A high number of out-of-district voters caused congestion, outlets including Maeil Business Newspaper reported, leading some citizens to receive their ballots after verifying their identities and then wait outside the polling station before voting. The NEC estimated that around 30 to 40 people had received ballots and were waiting outside. 
  
Several witnesses reported seeing people walk around the neighborhood with their ballot papers. One staff member at a nearby university said the queue stretched roughly 30 meters (98 feet) when they visited during lunch. 
  
“I thought the envelopes in their hands were informational pamphlets, but they were actually ballot papers and return envelopes,” they said.

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.