South Korea denies US troop withdrawal plans amidst strategic concerns
The South Korean Ministry of Defence has refuted reports about plans to reduce American military forces in the region. These reports were previously provided by the "Wall Street Journal."
What do you need to know?
- The South Korean Ministry of Defence in Seoul has vehemently denied reports of reducing American troops in South Korea.
- The "Wall Street Journal" suggested that the US president's administration is considering withdrawing 4,500 soldiers.
- Officials assure that South Korea and the US continue to cooperate to maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula.
The South Korean Ministry of Defence denied on Friday the "Wall Street Journal" reports regarding discussions with the Pentagon about the possibility of reducing US military forces in South Korea.
According to the newspaper, the US president's administration under Donald Trump considered withdrawing about 4,500 soldiers from the 28,500 personnel of USFK and relocating them to other bases in the Indo-Pacific region, including Guam.
The South Korean Ministry of Defence emphasised that USFK, as the main force of the South Korean and United States alliance, together with the South Korean military, contributes to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Concerning reports from South Korea. There's a denial
"USFK, as the main force of the South Korean and United States alliance, together with the South Korean military, has contributed to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, maintaining a solid joint defensive posture and deterring invasion and provocations from North Korea," the ministry stated.
A Pentagon spokesperson also noted that there are no announcements regarding a potential reduction of USFK.
Speculations about reductions arise in the context of Washington's pursuit of "strategic flexibility" of USFK, in order to focus on countering China due to the intensification of Beijing's military activities in the Indo-Pacific region.
