Report Claims the US and South Korea Narrow Difference on USFK Cost Sharing
It will be interesting to see if the ROK government gives into Trump administration demands on the cost sharing issue in return for concessions on the North Korean issue:
South Korea and the U.S. are narrowing their differences over the cost, contract period and annual increase rate in regards to sharing the cost of stationing American troops on the Korean Peninsula.
An official from the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said Monday the two sides are negotiating thorny issues and ways to improve the system as a package for the new Special Measures Agreement set to take effect next year.
Under the current five-year contract which will expire in December, Seoul’s cost-sharing for stationing the 28-thousand-500-member U.S. Forces Korea for this year is set at around 960 billion won or 856 million dollars.
As for Washington wanting Seoul to include costs for “operational support” of deploying strategic assets from outside the peninsula against North Korean threats, the official said he can not answer whether the U.S. continues to make such demands. [KBS World Radio]
They do not need us any longer are want us let’s get the hell out.
Doug, I wish the US does that. That would throw South Korea’s stock markets into a panic and when South Korean people wake up to exploding unemployment rates, they’ll finally wake up and smell the coffee that they’ve been supporting a stupid Pro-North Korea Jussappa regime full of stupid fantasies in their heads.
It’s time for South Korea to grow up and take its own place in the world.
Yes it’s time to leave. Please be aware cost sharing (more correctly burdensharing) and the subset SMA is a promise to pay. Actual payment is a separate negotiation and SK has never lived up to the promise.
Never trust a Korean if the subject is money to come out of his pocket.
Pull the US forces out, let the Koreans figure it out. It is obvious commie moon and his ilk don’t want the US forces here and want to revel in their Korean suffering.