Singapore, May 29 (AP) The United States is not ruling out a reduction in forces deployed to South Korea as the Trump administration determines what presence it needs in the region to best counter China, two senior American defence officials told reporters travelling with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Singapore.

There are 28,500 US troops deployed to South Korea as part of the US long-term commitment to help defend Seoul from any attack from North Korea.

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But the US is also trying to array its forces and ships optimally across the Indo-Pacific as a credible deterrent against China for any potential attack on Taiwan and other acts of aggression against allies in the region.

No decision has been made on the number of troops deployed to South Korea, but any future footprint would be optimised not only to defend against Pyongyang but also to deter China, one of the officials said. The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss deliberations that have not been made public.

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Hegseth is in Singapore to attend his first Shangri-La dialogue as President Donald Trump's defence secretary. His South Korean counterpart is not expected to attend due to elections in Seoul.

A possible reduction in forces was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)