A senior U.S. military official says Washington will adhere to its plan to withdraw one-third of its troops stationed in South Korea by the end of 2005 as scheduled.
The official's remarks made on Sunday are in stark contrast to Seoul's official position. Earlier reports in Seoul quoted a South Korean official as saying that the size and timetable for the troop withdrawal would be negotiable.
Last week, National Security Adviser Kwon Chin-ho said that Seoul would not accept the 'unilateral' proposal made by the U.S. for the troop withdrawal, adding that the pullout plan should be implemented in such a way as to prevent a security vacuum.