The Pentagon pushed back Friday on a Wall Street Journal report that the Trump administration is considering withdrawing thousands of American troops from South Korea, calling the news “not true.” The Journal first reported Thursday that the Defense Department [DOD] was developing an option to pull out roughly 4,

South Korea hosts the third-largest number of American troops outside the U.S.—after Japan and Germany—stationed there to help defend Seoul against threats from nuclear-armed North Korea and support regional efforts to counter an increasingly assertive China.

South Korea said there have been no discussions with the U.S. over a possible pullback of American troops stationed in the country, after a

North Korea began a full-scale investigation into an accident that damaged a new warship at its launch ceremony this week, state-run media reported Friday, with investigators vowing to punish those responsible.

Seoul and Washington agreed a five-year deal on defence cost-sharing last year, but Mr Trump recently indicated that expenses tied to the American military presence could become a point of negotiation in broader trade talks. But South Korean officials insisted on tackling the issue of defence contributions separately.

On Wednesday, local media were given access to the Korea Air and Space Operations Center (KAOC), a highly secured command post located within Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, about 60km south of Seoul.

South Korea has earmarked a budget of $222bn for the five-year period spanning 2021 to 2025 to strengthen its defence posture.