South Korea Wants To Negotiate Defense Fee Distribution With US
JAKARTA - South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yu assessed that South Korea should be able to be involved in negotiations regarding the distribution of defense costs with the United States in favorable conditions.
The statement was made by Cho in Seoul, when allies are expected to launch negotiations on the determination of Seoul's share in the maintenance costs of US Troops in Korea (USFK) with a magnitude of 28,500 personnel.
"We have spent more than two percent of our GDP (Gross Domestic Product) on defense, if you compare it to US dissatisfaction with Europe," Cho said in an interview with Yonhap News TV.
Cho also promised efforts to ensure new deals will be reached at a reasonable level. The two countries have announced their respective heads of negotiators for talks earlier this month.
Previous negotiations drew attention as Washington, under Donald Trump's leadership, demanded a major increase in Seoul-borne defense costs, which reportedly increased fivefold to $5 billion.
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Cho refers to how many members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have failed to keep promises to spend at least 2 percent of their annual GDP on defense. Trump used these points to pressure NATO allies to pay more.
"Because we have spent more than two percent of our GDP, I believe we can negotiate with favorable conditions in terms of persuading the US," he said.
He also said the government would engage in negotiations at a reasonable level to achieve its goals, including creating stable conditions for USFK placement and strengthening the combined defense posture of allies.