US Department of Defense: "South Korea's Defense Costs Return to Korean Economy"

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Despite the resumption of negotiations for the conclusion of the Defense Cost-Sharing Agreement (SMA) between South Korea and the United States, no consensus has been reached, and the U.S. Department of Defense has once again confirmed its position demanding an increase in South Korea's contribution in the defense cost-sharing talks.

Jeong Eun-bo, South Korea's Special Representative for the ROK-U.S. Defense Cost-Sharing Negotiations, and James DeHart, U.S. Department of State's Chief Negotiator for Defense Cost-Sharing, shake hands at the 6th meeting for the conclusion of the 11th Special Measures Agreement (SMA) on defense cost-sharing held on the 14th (local time) in Washington, D.C., USA. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Jonathan Hoffman, spokesperson for the Department of Defense, stated during a briefing that although the negotiations fall under the jurisdiction of the State Department, "Korea's contributions return to the Korean economy through goods and services."

This stance implies that even if South Korea bears a large portion of the defense costs, the benefits return to Korea, thereby supporting the view that Korea should pay more. The defense cost-sharing negotiations are being led primarily by South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. State Department.

With the 10th SMA agreement having expired and no agreement reached on the 11th round of negotiations, the U.S. has warned of unpaid leave for South Korean workers employed by the U.S. Forces Korea. Hoffman's remarks on this day can be interpreted as a message that the U.S. might use South Korean workers as leverage if the agreement is not finalized.

He also expressed the view that the increase in defense cost-sharing is not limited to South Korea. Hoffman said, "Whether in the Middle East, Europe, or Asia, we continue to watch closely and expect our allies to increase their contributions slightly."

Regarding the possibility of North Korea conducting missile tests, Hoffman said, "We are continuously monitoring whether a test will occur or not," and added, "As Defense Secretary Mark Esper mentioned, the decision to conduct a test rests entirely with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un and his decision." However, he showed a negative stance toward sharing detailed information related to North Korea's missile launches.

Meanwhile, both South Korea and the U.S. held the 6th meeting for the conclusion of the 11th SMA agreement in Washington D.C. on the 14th and 15th, amid the gap following the expiration of the 10th SMA at the end of last year, but no conclusion was reached this time either.

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