The top U.S. military commander in South Korea, General Xavier Brunson of U.S. Forces Korea (the American military contingent stationed on the peninsula under a mutual defence arrangement), told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday that his focus is "strictly on capabilities over numbers." His remarks come amid speculation that Washington may consider reducing troop levels as part of a broader posture adjustment on the Korean Peninsula. Brunson stressed that while the U.S. military presence serves as a baseline, the priority must be on maintaining the precise capabilities needed to address what he described as rapidly evolving strategic challenges in the region.