U.S. and South Korea reach cost-sharing deal on troops

Axios
·1 min read

The U.S. and South Korea announced Sunday they've reached an agreement "in principle" on a new cost-sharing plan for the American troop presence on the Korean Peninsula.

Driving the news: The State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs said in a Twitter post there had been a "negotiated increase" from South Korea in support for the U.S. troops' presence, without elaborating further.

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  • The deal will last through 2025, notes the Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the agreement.

Of note: The U.S. has some 28,000 troops in South Korea in order to protect against the threat of North Korea, a result of the 1950-53 Korean War, per AP.

  • Relations between the two nations had become strained over the Special Measures Agreement under former President Trump, who wanted South Korea to pay more.

  • Trump once demanded Seoul double its contribution to $1.6 billion before a deal to pay some $924 million was struck in 2019.

  • The State Department didn't immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

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  • U.S. and South Korea agree on new cost-sharing deal for troops

    The United States and South Korea have reached agreement in principle on a new arrangement for sharing the cost of the American troop presence, which is intended as a bulwark against the threat of North Korean aggression.