Seoul - Saba:
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-ho stated that the size and role of US forces stationed in his country "will remain unchanged," stressing that Seoul "is not concerned about this matter."
This came in statements to Western media outlets, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency on Monday, which cited Cho Hyun-ho's confirmation that "the ongoing talks with Washington do not include reducing the number of troops."
The South Korean Foreign Minister's statements coincide with growing talk about the possibility of reducing the number of US forces in Seoul, which number more than 28,000, as part of a new strategy by the administration of US President Donald Trump, which includes forming alliances and focusing attention on confronting China.
In response to another question about the impact of any US military withdrawal from his country on relations between South Korea and the United States, the South Korean Minister said, "That will not happen," noting that he met with a number of US senators during his recent visit to the United States and that they assured him that "there will be no change in the presence of US forces in his country," he said.
Since 1991, Seoul has borne part of the cost of stationing US forces in South Korea, under the Special Measures Agreement, which includes the construction of military installations, barracks, training and operational facilities, communications facilities, and other forms of logistical support.