Seoul says US troops in South Korea a separate issue to peace treaty with North Korea

South Korea's presidential office said on Wednesday the issue of US troops stationed in the South is unrelated to any future peace treaty with North Korea and is a matter regarding Seoul's alliance with Washington.

Kim Eui-kyeom, a spokesman for the presidential Blue House, was responding to media questions about a column written by South Korean presidential adviser and academic Moon Chung-in that was published earlier this week.

Presidential adviser Moon said it would be difficult to justify the presence of US forces in South Korea if a peace treaty was signed.