The Trump administration's new nearly $5 billion price tag given to South Korea in early November to cover its share of the costs of housing American troops, which have been stationed on the peninsula as a deterrent against the north via US Indo-Pacific Command forces since 1957, led to two days of last minute negotiation efforts this week.
The talks were led by South Korea's chief negotiator Jeong Eun-bo and his US counterpart, James DeHart, and are expected to continue in January.
President Trump's last minute demands for a massive increase could be shaping up to be a huge mistake, as South Korea was already paying more than most nations do for US troops, and had agreed to a more modest increase.
The US didn't do a good job of justifying this unprecedented increase, either, with administration officials arguing that South Korea is rich and therefore could afford it.
With South Korea working on improved military ties with China and making peace overtures to North Korea it isn't clear that what they could afford is even necessary.
Last month US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told reporters at a briefing in Seoul that South Korea is "a wealthy country and could and should pay more" for the deployment of US forces on its soil.
Prior to the massive nearly $5BN price hike, South Korea already agreed to pay $920 million annually to maintain the roughly 29,000 US troops in the country.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/last-minute-skorea-us-talks-troop-cost-sharing-fail-deal-expire
The talks were led by South Korea's chief negotiator Jeong Eun-bo and his US counterpart, James DeHart, and are expected to continue in January.
President Trump's last minute demands for a massive increase could be shaping up to be a huge mistake, as South Korea was already paying more than most nations do for US troops, and had agreed to a more modest increase.
The US didn't do a good job of justifying this unprecedented increase, either, with administration officials arguing that South Korea is rich and therefore could afford it.
With South Korea working on improved military ties with China and making peace overtures to North Korea it isn't clear that what they could afford is even necessary.
Last month US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told reporters at a briefing in Seoul that South Korea is "a wealthy country and could and should pay more" for the deployment of US forces on its soil.
Prior to the massive nearly $5BN price hike, South Korea already agreed to pay $920 million annually to maintain the roughly 29,000 US troops in the country.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/last-minute-skorea-us-talks-troop-cost-sharing-fail-deal-expire
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