President Trump decided early in his presidency that South Korea should pay more of the cost of keeping US ground troops in South Korea. This week, there were three days of talks on the matter in Seoul, which ended in failure.
South Korea already pays the US for some of its costs, and has agreed in principle to keep doing so, though the current deal expires this year. The US is pushing for more money, based on Trump’s demands.
Officials familiar with the talks say that there is broad agreement “on almost all elements,” except for the one that really matters, the dollar amount. Without that, there was no way to finalize the deal.
Reports suggest the US wants South Korea to pay $1.2 billion annually, a substantial increase from the $850 million they have been paying under the existing deal. South Korean officials aren’t being clear how much they’re offering.
Offer…nothing…
Please tell me what the US is offering when the North and South Koreas seems to be getting along without US “help”. Peace could even arrive if the USA saves its money and goes home.
It will happen far faster if that happens. The US is currently the barrier to peace, not N. Korea.
No it is not.
Its called defense. Been there since end of Korean war. And until there is a formal end to that war the USA and other allies and the UN agreed to stand by their agreement with helping South Korea.
Go ask a native South Korean if they believe North Korea can be trusted thru Kim Jon Un? Would you trust your neighbor if they had guns pointed at you? Even firing them at you every once in a while? And killing your people…. NK is a puppet of China and evryone knows it.
Kick the US troops 100% OUT and spend as much money as YOU feel is necessary to keep yourselves safe. PEACE is NOT what the US wants, and the presence of US troops will only continue to foment hostilities. And while US troops are certainly helping to support the alcohol, prostitution, drug, and golfing segments of the S. Korean economy, S. Korea will be far better off without them.
How much would an eviction notice cost the South Koreans? USA, bring your troops, planes, and ships home. Go occupy some other benighted land.
Samsung gets the Huawei treatment, for starters.
Wow, Thomas, you are more hopeful than I am. To hope US would stand down…..
Kind of tough to extract protection money when the Koreans don’t need protection from anyone except maybe the U.S..
This is the perfect opportunity for the South to say adios to western occupiers. Or at minimum reduce the level of troops stationed by half or more. Will also be an excellent gesture to North about the peace plan.
Withdraw the troops. Declare any US interest in the Korean non-War officially over . Leave East Asia to the East Asians. Redeploy the troops along the US Southern border.
Declare non-interest first. Then withdraw the troops. Then cut the size of the US armed forces by the number of troops withdrawn.
Likely will happen slowly. SK’s best negotiating tactic is to request slow drawdown, say, 3000 each year. That way the dollar amount SK pays can be proportionately reduced, as can large military exercises. Gradual drawdown lets SK and NK gradually normalize, as it will be a tricky business. As several commenters suggest, the US is a barrier to the process….that’s why gradual progress is simpler and perhaps more robust process. Eventually SK/NK can make a reasonable request….time to go, guys.
Simplistic answer. Wrong.