---
title: "South Korea's defence ministry says no talks held with US on troop withdrawal"
description: "South Korea's defence ministry said on Friday that Seoul and Washington had not had discussions about the withdrawal of some U.S. troops stationed in the country."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-05-23-south-koreas-defence-ministry-says-no-talks-held-with-us-on-troop-withdrawal/"
published: "2025-05-23T04:46:21"
updated: "2025-05-23T04:46:22"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 210
---

# South Korea's defence ministry says no talks held with US on troop withdrawal

> South Korea's defence ministry said on Friday that Seoul and Washington had not had discussions about the withdrawal of some U.S. troops stationed in the country.

By Reuters · Published 23 May 2025, 06:46 SAST · Updated 23 May 2025, 06:46 SAST

## Key points
- As the U.S. toys with the idea of relocating 4,500 troops from South Korea to the Indo-Pacific, Seoul insists that defense costs and trade talks are as separate as kimchi and ketchup, all while gearing up for a presidential election that promises to shake things up even more.
- South Korea's defense ministry responds to reports of the U.S. considering a troop reduction of 4,500 from its current 28,500 stationed in the country.
- Potential troop relocations may include transfers to other Indo-Pacific locations, such as Guam.
- Seoul reaffirms commitment to a strong defense posture with the U.S. amid ongoing trade negotiations over military costs.
- A snap presidential election is set for June 3 as South Korea navigates political turmoil and seeks to address U.S. tariffs impacting its economy.

## Content

The ministry made the comment in response to a report by the Wall Street Journal that said the U.S. was considering pulling out roughly 4,500 troops from South Korea.

One option being considered was to relocate some of the troops to other locations in the Indo-Pacific region including Guam, according to the report, which cited unnamed U.S. military officials.

There are currently 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea.

South Korea would continue cooperation with the United States to maintain a strong combined defence posture in order to deter North Korea, Seoul's defence ministry said in a statement.

Seoul and Washington agreed on a five-year plan on defence cost sharing last year but U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled that the cost of the U.S. military presence could be up for discussion in ongoing trade negotiations with Seoul.

South Korean officials have so far maintained the position that defence costs are a separate matter from the trade talks.

The Asian country will hold a snap presidential election on June 3 to elect a new leader following months of political turmoil that have left a power vacuum as South Korea seeks to negotiate to remove U.S. tariffs on its export-reliant economy.

(Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Ed Davies)