South Korea will pay US$924 million to host American troops this year after Donald Trump demanded more money
- The agreement would expire in one year, and is less than the US$1 billion the US demanded
- About 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea, where the United States has maintained a military presence since the 1950-53 Korean war
South Korea and the United States struck a new deal Sunday on how much Seoul should pay for the US military presence on its soil, after previous rounds of failed negotiations caused worries about their decades-long alliance.
The new deal must still be approved by South Korea’s parliament, but it would boost this year’s contribution to about 1.04 trillion won (US$924 million), Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Last year, South Korea provided about 960 billion won, roughly 40 per cent of the cost of the deployment of 28,500 US soldiers whose presence is meant to deter aggression from North Korea. US President Donald Trump has said South Korea should pay more.
The allies had failed to reach a new cost-sharing plan during some 10 rounds of talks. On Sunday, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said the countries signed a short-term agreement.
Unlike past agreements, which lasted for five years, this one is expected to expire in a year, potentially forcing both sides back to the bargaining table within months.
Some conservatives in South Korea voiced concerns over a weakening alliance with the United States amid a stalemate in negotiations with North Korea to deprive it of its nuclear weapons.
