President Trump has instructed the Pentagon to develop plans to reduce the number of American troops stationed in South Korea, according to a report Thursday.
The order comes before Trump’s highly anticipated meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The New York Times reports that cutting back on troops is not going to be negotiated as part of the discussions with Kim, per officials familiar with the situation. However, the officials said that North and South Korea signing a peace treaty could lead to a cut in the 23,500 troops stationed in South Korea.
The officials who spoke with the Times did not disclose whether Trump was attempting to fully withdraw all the troops stationed in South Korea, or simply cut back that number.
Meanwhile, Trump’s instructions have irked some at the Pentagon amid concerns that a pullout would undermine the American alliance with South Korea, and also provoke anxiety from Japan.
Last week, South Korean President Moon Jae-in had a historic meeting with Kim, which resulted in an agreement to sign a peace treaty and a stated commitment to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.
Moon has given Trump credit for recent developments in North Korea, and has backed giving Trump a Nobel Prize. Trump was officially nominated by House Republicans for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize on Wednesday, a move led by Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind.
