The U.S. Defense Department in its Quadrennial Defense Review on Tuesday expressed commitment to "strategic flexibility" that would allow troops stationed in South Korea to be deployed in trouble spots elsewhere.

The report said Korea was in the process of shifting from "forward-deployed to forward-stationed with family members," jargon meaning that the U.S. military is trying to get personnel to stay in Korea longer by allowing their families to accompany them. "When fully implemented, this change will enable forces to deploy from Korea, helping to expand the pool of available forces for global contingencies."

From 2013, when three-year tours accompanied by families are to become more common in the U.S. Forces Korea, soldiers here may be sent to neighboring regions for months at a time, as is already the case for U.S. troops in Germany.

The report also said that the U.S. military will come up with plans to enhance the flexibility of American and allied forces to suppress North Korean provocations.