The nominee for vice chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said American troop levels in South Korea should be evaluated based on capabilities rather than soldier numbers, amid concerns that the Trump administration could scale down the U.S. military presence despite growing North Korean threats.

Christopher Mahoney made the statement in written responses submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington for his confirmation hearing. 

“I don’t want to speculate on hypotheticals, but I will emphasize that we view U.S. posture not by the number of service members on the ground but by the capabilities needed