Pentagon denies US is considering pulling troops from S. Korea

The Pentagon has denied a South Korean news report saying that the US is considering a significant cut to its troop numbers in South Korea if Seoul does not contribute more to the costs of the deployment, Reuters reports.

“There is absolutely no truth to the Chosun Ilbo report that the US Department of Defense is currently considering removing any troops from the Korean Peninsula,” Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said, referring to Secretary Mark Esper, who earlier on Thursday had said he was unaware of any such planning.

“Secretary Esper was in South Korea this past week where he repeatedly reiterated our ironclad commitment to [South Korea] and its people,” according to the statement. “We are demanding the Chosun Ilbo immediately retract their story.”