US Media: "Excessive Increase in Defense Cost-Sharing for US Forces Korea Not Acceptable"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] A U.S. media report has emerged stating that South Korea should not be burdened with more costs regarding the Trump administration's demand for an increase in the defense cost-sharing for U.S. Forces Korea. This has drawn attention as the U.S. media expressed a negative stance on additional demands ahead of the upcoming supplementary U.S.-South Korea defense cost-sharing negotiations this month.

Henry Olsen, a Washington Post (WP) columnist, criticized the Trump administration's excessive plan to increase defense cost-sharing in a column titled "Lay off South Korea, Mr. President," published on the 7th (local time). He argued that President Trump should not think of South Korea like NATO allies in Europe. Olsen also emphasized that South Korea's defense budget in 2018 ranked among the top 10 worldwide at $43 billion, most of which is spent on purchasing U.S. weapons such as F-35 fighter jets. Furthermore, he pointed out that raising South Korea's defense cost-sharing excessively could make it difficult to respond to China in Northeast Asia.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the same day, citing officials from both countries' negotiation teams, that South Korea proposed an increase of 4-8% compared to last year's defense cost-sharing for U.S. Forces Korea. However, the WSJ noted that before imposing more financial burdens on South Korea, a reasonable cost plan must first be presented. The WSJ emphasized that the U.S. deployment of troops in South Korea allows for rapid response to unexpected regional crises ranging from natural disasters to armed conflicts, and these non-financial benefits and advantages are considered "intangible assets." It also explained that since the Korean War, South Korea's contributions as a U.S. ally in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Gulf of Aden should be taken into account.

The Trump administration demanded a contribution approaching $5 billion (about 5.89 trillion KRW), more than five times last year's $990 million (about 1.17 trillion KRW). As the gap between the two sides' positions remained wide, the fifth round of defense cost-sharing negotiations ended without an agreement. The sixth round of talks is expected to take place early next week.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.