Naiju US House Armed Services Committee Holds Hearing on Korean Peninsula... Questions Expected on North Korea-US Negotiations and ROK-US Defense Cost-Sharing

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] At the U.S. House Armed Services Committee meeting scheduled for the 28th (local time), inquiries related to the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea issues and the U.S.-South Korea defense cost-sharing negotiations, are expected to be concentrated. The Democratic Party plans to question not only these matters but also the readiness posture of U.S. forces through a hearing titled "Review of the Security Situation on the Korean Peninsula."

A spokesperson for the Democratic members of the Armed Services Committee stated on the 22nd (local time) via Voice of America (VOA), "Considering the complex situation on the Korean Peninsula, it is essential to hear testimony from the Department of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff regarding the deployment and readiness posture of U.S. forces in North Korea and the East Asia region, as well as national security challenges on the Korean Peninsula."

They also pointed out issues such as the suspension of North Korea-U.S. negotiations, the expiration of the U.S.-South Korea Special Measures Agreement (SMA), and the cancellation of joint military exercises, noting the deteriorating relations between South Korea and Japan. The spokesperson said, "Last year, North Korea resumed ballistic missile tests, North Korea-U.S. nuclear negotiations were suspended, and U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises were canceled. Amid this, the relationship between South Korea and Japan, the United States' largest allies in the region, has continuously worsened."

Criticism was also raised regarding the defense cost-sharing agreement. He pointed out, "With the expiration of the 10th agreement at the end of last year, the Trump administration turned the defense cost-sharing issue into a divisive matter."

Democratic lawmakers, including Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, plan to comprehensively address issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula over the past year and hear direct explanations from government officials appearing as witnesses. The hearing will include the attendance of John Rood, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and Alvin Davis, Director of Strategic Planning and Policy.

VOA reported that earlier last year, Chairman Smith, along with House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper requesting the basis for the U.S. demand for excessive increases in South Korea's defense cost-sharing, stating that such demands cause unnecessary rifts in the alliance.

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