Seoul, Washington Cannot Agree On Sharing Defense Costs - Foreign Ministry Official

Washington and Seoul have not managed to come to an agreement regarding the cost of maintaining the United States Forces Korea (USFK) in South Korea, a South Korean Foreign Ministry official said on Monday on the condition of anonymity.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th November, 2018) Washington and Seoul have not managed to come to an agreement regarding the cost of maintaining the United States Forces Korea (USFK) in South Korea, a South Korean Foreign Ministry official said on Monday on the condition of anonymity.

Since 1991 Seoul has been sharing the costs for the deployment of about 23,500 US servicemen in South Korea within the framework of the Special Measures Agreement (SMA). The current SMA, under which South Korea has to pay approximately $830 million per year to the United States, expires on December 31. Washington wants Seoul to increase its contribution under the next agreement.

"There was some progress, but no final agreement was reached," the official said, commenting on the recent round of talks on the SMA that was held on November 13-15, as quoted by the Yonhap news agency.

According to the official, the United States and South Korea have managed to agree on a draft SMA that now requires further development.

"Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed," the official said, adding that the South Korean officials' main goal in the talks was minimizing the hike in the country's expenditure on the US military contingent.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that US allies should pay a fair price for the protection provided by Washington, which is why South Korea has been asked to sharply raise its contribution to support the USFK.