U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2026, a $901 billion defense policy bill that legally restricts the executive branch from reducing U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) below its current level of 28,500. The legislation reinstates a funding prohibition that requires the U.S. Secretary of Defense to certify to Congress that any troop reduction is in the U.S. national security interest and follows appropriate consultations with allies before funds can be obligated.

Beyond troop levels, the bill reinforces a strict, conditions-based framework for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON). It prohibits