US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said, "I have never ordered the withdrawal of troops from the Korean Peninsula."

Secretary Esper responded to a question about the USFK reduction issue recently reported in the media at a video seminar at the International Strategy Research Institute (IISS), a think tank in the UK.

But Mr. Esper said he would clearly implement the'National Defense Strategy' (NDS) and review the troops deployed around the world and make sure they are optimized.

Earlier, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 17th that the U.S. Department of Defense presented a USFK reduction option to the White House last March.