The Trump administration is weighing a withdrawal of thousands of American troops from South Korea, according to defense officials familiar with the discussions, a move that could stir new anxiety among allies worried about the White House commitment to Asia. An option being developed by the Pentagon is to pull out roughly 4,500 troops and move them to other locations in the Indo-Pacific region, including to Guam, the officials and a person familiar with the matter said. The idea is being prepared for consideration by President Trump as part of an informal policy review on dealing with North Korea, two of the officials said. The proposal has yet to reach Trump’s desk and is one of several ideas under discussion by senior officials conducting the review, the two officials said. Asked about the discussion of a troop drawdown, a Pentagon spokesman said there were no policy announcements to make. National Security Council spokesman Pete Nguyen didn’t address the troop-withdrawal issue but said Trump was committed to the “complete denuclearization” of North Korea. South Korea’s defense ministry declined to comment. Since his first term, Trump has considered changing the U.S. footprint in South Korea, where there are about 28,500 troops. Last month top commanders overseeing U.S. forces in Asia warned against reducing their numbers, saying a drawdown would jeopardize their ability to prevail against North Korea, and in other possible conflicts against China and Russia that could arise in Northeast Asia.

Full exclusive : US Could Reduce Troop Presence Near North Korea-South Korea DMZ.

Update : Pentagon denies report of U.S. troop withdrawal plan for South Korea as per this report in The Japan Times.