SEOUL - South Korea's Defense Ministry said on Friday that Seoul and Washington had not had discussions about the withdrawal of some US troops stationed in the country.

The ministry made the comment in response to a report by the Wall Street Journal that said the US was considering pulling out roughly 4,500 troops from South Korea.

One option being considered was to relocate some of the troops to other locations in the Indo-Pacific region including Guam, according to the report, which cited unnamed US military officials.

There are currently 28,500 US troops stationed in South Korea.

South Korea would continue cooperation with the United States to maintain a strong combined defense posture, Seoul's Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Seoul and Washington agreed on a five-year plan on defense cost sharing last year but US President Donald Trump has signaled that the cost of the US military presence could be up for discussion in ongoing trade negotiations with Seoul.

South Korean officials have so far maintained the position that defense costs are a separate matter from the trade talks.

READ MORE: South Korea, US aim for trade package before tariff pause ends in July

The Asian country will hold a snap presidential election on June 3 to elect a new leader following months of political turmoil that have left a power vacuum as South Korea seeks to negotiate to remove US tariffs on its export-reliant economy.