US Defense Secretary James Mattis has pledged to uphold the “ironclad” US commitment to South Korea by keeping its contingent there among other measures. President Donald Trump earlier said he wanted to bring US soldiers home.
Speaking at the talks with South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo in Seoul on Thursday, the Pentagon chief defended Trump’s decision to halt war games with South Korea, but said that US troops will remain.
“US commitment to the Republic of Korea [South Korea] remains ironclad and the US will continue to use a full range of diplomatic and military capabilities to uphold this commitment. This includes maintaining the current US force levels on the Korean Peninsula,» Mattis said, as cited byYonhap.
Earlier this month, right after the historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on June 12, Trump said that he wants “to get our soldiers out,” but the immediate withdrawal was not discussed.
