USFK troop level should be reduced to about 10,000 from current 28,500: U.S. think tank report

Also on the defense front.

A former senior adviser to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Dan Caldwell has recommended a reduction in America's troop presence here in South Korea to some 10-thousand from the current 28-thousand-500.

His recommendation was included in a report released on Wednesday by the U.S. think tank Defense Priorities along with his observation that South Korea does not offer quote "unrestricted contingency access" in the event of a conflict against American interests here in this part of the world.

He also pointed out that U.S. boots on the ground in East Asia should be reorganized to contain China.

South Korea was also assessed to be capable of defending itself from North Korea in the short term given its conventional military advantage.