Pyeongtaek: A new U.S. rotational force employing the Stryker fighting vehicle has started to arrive in South Korea, the U.S. Army stationed in the country said Wednesday, amid speculation about a possible reduction in U.S. troop levels.

According to Yonhap News Agency, soldiers from the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division began arriving in late May, while their combat equipment started to arrive in Pyeongtaek, about 60 kilometers south of Seoul, early this month, as part of a regular rotation. "Our presence in Korea is a clear demonstration of U.S. resolve, and the Raider Brigade is honored to enhance our long-standing alliance," Col. J. Clint Tisserand, commander of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, said in a release.

The Wall Street Journal reported last month that the Pentagon is considering withdrawing about 4,500 troops of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), raising speculation that it could target a brigade-level unit. While the Pentagon has dismissed the report, a senior U.S. official last month pointed out the need to "calibrate" U.S. force posture on the Korean Peninsula to deter China, leaving open the possibility of an adjustment to the USFK troop level.