U.S. says S. Korea’s defense cost-sharing ‘powerful investment’ in alliance

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said Thursday that Seoul's financial contributions to the stationing of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) represent a "powerful investment" in the bilateral alliance and more than 90 percent of them are spent in South Korea's economy. The remarks came as Seoul and Washington are gearing up for negotiations on a new cost-sharing deal, called the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), to determine how much South Korea will pay for the upkeep of the 28,500-strong USFK. Seoul officials have said that the two countries will likely hold talks on the 12th SMA in the near future as the current six-year SMA is set to expire at the end of next year. "More than 90 percent of these contributions are expended in the ROK's domestic economy, and they represent a powerful investment in the U.S.-ROK alliance," the spokesperson said in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency. ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. The official noted that since 1991, SMAs have "refl ected our shared commitment to a stable stationing environment for U.S. forces in the Republic of Korea and a robust combined defense posture." "Our consultations renewing the SMA underlines the enduring vitality of the U.S.-ROK alliance," the spokesperson said, casting the alliance as the "linchpin of peace, security, and prosperity for Northeast Asia, the broader Indo-Pacific, and beyond." Asked about when the negotiations will commence, the official said that South Korean and U.S. lead negotiators will jointly determine the timing of the meetings. Last month, Seoul and Washington announced their chief SMA negotiators -- Lee Tae-woo, a senior diplomat and former consul general in Sydney, and Linda Specht, a senior adviser and lead negotiator for security agreements at the State Department, respectively. "The Department of Defense has requested that the Department of State begin the consultation process. We are currently preparing for consultations," the official said. Observers have said that Seoul and Washington have sought to resume SMA talks earlier than usual amid concerns that should former President Donald Trump be reelected, he could drive a hard bargain over a new SMA in a way that could cause friction in the alliance. During Trump's presidency, the SMA negotiation was a major bone of contention as he demanded a hefty rise in South Korea's share of the cost for USFK. He reportedly called for a fivefold increase to US$5 billion. Since 1991, Seoul has partially shouldered costs under the SMA for Korean USFK workers; the construction of military installations, such as barracks, and training, educational, operational and communications facilities; and other logistical support. Source: Yonhap News Agency