US considers troop pullout from South Korea: Report

ANKARA

The US is considering withdrawing its thousands of troops from South Korea and moving them to another location in the Indo-Pacific region, including its island territory of Guam, according to US media reports.

An option being developed by the Pentagon is to pull out roughly 4,500 troops and move them to other locations in the Indo-Pacific region, including Guam, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing unnamed US officials.

However, according to the report, the proposal has not yet been submitted to President Donald Trump for approval.

Some 28,500 US troops are currently stationed in South Korea.

The report claimed that it is one of the several ideas under discussion by senior US officials conducting the review.

Last month, US Indo-Pacific Command Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo Jr. opposed any troops withdrawal from South Korea and warned it would jeopardize their ability to prevail against North Korea, and in other possible conflicts against China and Russia.

South Korea's Defense Ministry on Friday also said there is no discussion held between Seoul and Washington over any possible withdrawal of troops from the East Asian country.

"As the core strength of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, the USFK (United States Forces Korea), alongside our military, has contributed to the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and in the region by maintaining a firm combined defense posture and deterring North Korea's invasion and provocation," the Yonhap News Agency quoted the ministry as saying.

An unnamed Pentagon spokesperson also told the agency that there is currently no policy announcement to make regarding any potential US troop reduction in the region.