In order to smoothly carry the current negotiations with North Korea forward to a peace treaty, the status and role of the USFK must also evolve. The form that this change will take is up for debate as those advocating troop withdrawal face off against those who prefer the continued presence of USFK on the Korean Peninsula. The argument for withdrawal states that once a peace treaty has been achieved, the rationale for the deployment of US troops will vanish, while those pushing for ongoing US involvement cite international law to support their position. In this article, Chung Kyung-young, adjunct professor at the Hanyang University Graduate School of International Studies, examines the international legal framework surrounding the issue as well as similar cases in other countries. He locates these considerations within a broader picture that weighs the perspectives of neighboring countries and South Korea's government as well as South Korea's domestic politics and economic concerns, military security, and regional dynamics. His thorough analysis concludes with the contention that the continued presence of US troops on the Korean Peninsula even after a peace treaty has been signed will be in the national interest of Korea.