U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that South Korea should pay for its own defense and suggested it should contribute more toward the cost of hosting U.S. troops.

Speaking during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump claimed that South Korea is paying "very little" for the presence of U.S. forces, despite being a wealthy nation.

He also asserted that the United States continues to maintain a military presence in South Korea after having “rebuilt” the country, and said the U.S. has essentially provided “free military” support since then. 

Trump added that South Korea should be paying 10 billion US dollars annually.

He further argued that the U.S. troop presence brings significant economic benefits to host countries. 

However, he falsely claimed there are 45-thousand U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, whereas the actual number is approximately 28-thousand.