Trump Says Troop Withdrawal Not on Summit Agenda

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday (local time) that withdrawing troops from South Korea will not be discussed during his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Trump and Kim are set to meet in Hanoi, Vietnam, Feb. 27 and 28, to discuss the dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

There had been concerns that the U.S. president would agree to draw down American troops in South Korea as part of a deal with the North.

"No, it's not, no. It is not a consideration," Trump said at a White House event, responding to a reporter's question about whether a drawdown was on the cards. "That is not one of the things on the table."

Pressed about what will be discussed, he said, "Oh, you want me to really discuss that now? Everything is on the table."

The two sides have been in negotiations to hammer out a deal ahead of next week's summit, the second between Trump and Kim.

At their first summit in Singapore in June, the leaders committed to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in exchange for security guarantees from the U.S.

The second meeting is expected to produce more concrete commitments, such as the possible closure of North Korea's main nuclear facility in Yongbyon, partial sanctions relief for the North, and a declaration formally ending the 1950-53 Korean War.

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