Politics- President Donald Trump reportedly directed the Pentagon to draw up plans to withdraw some US troops from South Korea.
- Sources familiar with the discussions declined to say whether Trump was looking at a complete or partial withdrawal.
- Trump previously suggested pulling US troops out of South Korea and justified his reasoning by claiming the US had a "a very big trade deficit" with the South.
President Donald Trump gave another indication that he may be considering pulling some US troops out of South Korea after he reportedly ordered the Pentagon to prepare options for a drawdown, according to a New York Times report published on Thursday.
People familiar with the discussions told The Times that the plans were not intended to be a concession ahead of the upcoming summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. where the US is expected to broach the subject of the regime's nuclear arsenal.
The sources added that a possible peace treaty on the Korean Peninsula, which was floated by Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in during their historic summit in April, could reduce the need for the current US military presence in the region.
An official with South Korea's Blue House disputed The Times' report, saying that a US National Security Council representative assured them that the report was "not true," according to Yonhap News.
North Korea views the 23,500 US troops stationed in South Korea as a provocative reminder of the US-South Korea military partnership, even though the countries have repeatedly assured the North that it is a defensive posture.
The North has historically railed against the the US's presence and threatened to retaliate against the annual joint military exercises between the US and the South.
On the rationale for drawing down US troops in the region, Trump previously cited what he called "a very big trade deficit" with the South, and claimed "our allies care about themselves."
"We lost money on trade, and we lose money on the military," Trump said in March.
"We have right now 32,000 soldiers on the border between North and South Korea," Trump continued. "Let's see what happens."
Following Trump's remarks, South Korean finance minister Kim Dong-yeon said it was not "ideal to link an economic issue with such an issue [the withdrawal of US troops]."
Word of Trump's plans follows a South Korean official's statement in which he suggested a potential peace treaty on the Korean Peninsula could render the current troops levels unnecessary.
"What will happen to US forces in South Korea if a peace treaty is signed," special adviser Moon Chung-in said in an opinion column. "It will be difficult to justify their continuing presence."
But Chung-in's article drew a swift rebuke from South Korea's presidential Blue House, which said that US forces would stay, regardless of whether a peace treaty is signed.
"US troops stationed in South Korea are an issue regarding the alliance between South Korea and the United States," Blue House spokesperson Kim Eui-kyeom said. "It has nothing to do with signing peace treaties."