'US-South Korea not talking about troop deployment to Strait of Hormuz'

South Korea and the United States are not discussing the possible deployment of South Korean troops to the Middle East in connection with their defense cost-sharing talks according to Jeong Eun-bo, South Korea's ambassador.

"We are not talking about troop deployment to the Strait of Hormuz or anything outside the framework of the Special Measures Agreement (SMA)," he was quoted as saying by Jeong Eun-bo, South Korea's ambassador to the defence cost-sharing negotiations with the United States on Thursday (local time).

"We are not discussing anything other than those aspects related to our contribution to the alliance," he said.

The agency in its report said that in addition to higher financial contributions, Washington has sought to expand the SMA's coverage and get Seoul to shoulder the cost of rotational troop deployments to the peninsula.

Under the previous SMA, which expired at the end of December, Seoul was required to pay US$870 million.