President Donald Trump has asked the Pentagon to look into reducing the presence of American troops in South Korea, The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing “several people briefed on the deliberations.”
The sources didn’t disclose whether Trump asked for full or partial withdrawal of U.S. forces, according to the report. But they said the president didn’t put out the directive as a bargaining chip in his upcoming meeting with North Korea.
Neither the White House nor the U.S. Department of Defense replies to CNBC emails requesting comment on the report.
Trump is expected to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in coming weeks to push for the hermit nation’s nuclear weapons disarmament.
Kim had earlier met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and the two were said to agree to work toward a peace treaty — which would officially end the Korean War.
U.S. troops have been stationed in South Korea since the conflict’s armistice in 1953. A peace treaty between the two Koreas could reduce the need for the more than 20,000 American soldiers still stationed there, according to the report.
Trump has long wanted to withdraw American troops from South Korea, claiming that the U.S. hasn’t been properly compensated for its military presence, the Times noted. South Korea, however, has said it wants U.S. troops to stay even if a peace treaty is signed with North Korea.
