"The President has not asked the Pentagon to provide options for reducing American forces stationed in South Korea," Bolton said in a statement. During a South Korean presidential briefing Wednesday, officials linked the presence of US forces in South Korea to wider issues of peace and regional security. Controversial presenceThe US has around 28,000 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the Cold War and the conflict on the Peninsula. According to US Forces Korea , its mission is to "deter aggression and if necessary, defend the Republic of Korea to maintain stability in Northeast Asia." Within South Korea too there are critics of the US military presence.

Source: CNN May 04, 2018 03:24 UTC