Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said that defense cost negotiations with the U.S. are not linked with the issue of American troop reduction.

Speaking at a parliament committee meeting on Thursday, the top diplomat said that she believes the interpretation of U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper's remarks was excessive.

Esper had earlier declined to say whether Washington would be willing to withdraw any U.S. forces from South Korea if an agreement on defense cost sharing could not be reached with Seoul. 

Citing the recent Security Consultative Meeting held by the two countries' defense ministers, Kang said that just days ago Esper had confirmed that the U.S. would maintain its troop level in the country. 

During the parliament meeting, Seoul's deputy chief negotiator regarding the defense cost talks, Lee Sung-ho, said the two sides were colliding in their overall principles.