In 1977, while Major General Singlaub was Chief of Staff of U.S. forces in South Korea, in an off the record interview with a reporter, General Singlaub expressed his disagreement with President Carter's decision to pull troops from South Korea at a time when North Korea was bulking up its military presence in the region. That 'off the record' discussion ended up on the front page of The Washington Post on May 19, 1977. On May 21, 1977, Carter relieved him of duty for overstepping his bounds and failing to respect the President's authority as Commander-in-Chief. General Singlaub retired from the Army in 1978.