Amid recent media reports that Washington is considering reducing its military presence in South Korea, U.S. Forces Korea(USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson has downplayed the concerns.

In an online seminar hosted by the Institute for Corean-American Studies on Tuesday, Brunson said the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff has not told him about any such plans.

Brunson called USFK the physical manifestation of the U.S. commitment to its ironclad alliance with South Korea.

Last week the Wall Street Journal reported that the Pentagon is preparing a plan to relocate approximately 45-hundred U.S. troops stationed in South Korea.

USFK released a statement denying the report and reaffirming its commitment to South Korea’s defense.