Seoul and Washington agreed a five-year deal on defence cost-sharing last year, but Mr Trump recently indicated that expenses tied to the American military presence could become a point of negotiation in broader trade talks. But South Korean officials insisted on tackling the issue of defence contributions separately.

Fears that Washington might pull some or all of the roughly 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea have loomed large in the country since Trump’s first term.

South Korea's defence ministry said on Friday that Seoul and Washington had not had discussions about the withdrawal of some U.S. troops stationed in the country. The ministry made the comment in response to a report by the Wall Street Journal that said the U.