'US-ROK Differences Persist' 7th Defense Cost-Sharing Talks End... Schedule Extended for Focused Discussions Between Chief Representatives

"Minimizing Agreement Gaps, Agreeing on Close Consultation"
Last-Minute Efforts to Narrow Differences Ahead of April Unpaid Leave for Korean Workers at USFK

Jeong Eun-bo, the Special Representative for U.S.-Korea Defense Cost-Sharing Talks, is briefing on the U.S.-Korea defense cost-sharing negotiations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 19th. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The seventh defense cost-sharing negotiation for the conclusion of the 11th Special Measures Agreement (SMA) between South Korea and the United States was completed in Los Angeles, USA. Originally scheduled to take place over two days on the 17th and 18th local time, the talks were extended and continued on the 19th as well.

On the 20th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "Although there are still differences in positions between the two sides, both parties have agreed to closely consult to minimize the gap in the agreement and contribute to the ROK-US alliance and combined defense posture through the prompt conclusion of a mutually acceptable agreement."

Despite significant differences regarding the scale of the defense cost increase, both South Korea and the United States are making every effort to narrow the gap at the final stage ahead of the unpaid leave for Korean workers employed by the US Forces Korea, scheduled to take effect on April 1. Unlike the previous six rounds of negotiations, this round was reportedly conducted through focused discussions with multiple meetings between Jeong Eun-bo, the South Korean Special Representative for Defense Cost-Sharing Negotiations, and James DeHart, the US Department of State's lead negotiator for defense cost-sharing.

The negotiations, which have been ongoing since September last year, saw both sides firmly opposing each other over the amount of the defense cost increase. The South Korean side has maintained that the increase proposed by the US side is neither reasonable nor fair. The US initially proposed $5 billion, six times the previous year's defense cost, then somewhat adjusted it to $4 billion, while South Korea has reportedly insisted on a single-digit increase. The gap is therefore very large.

So far, the South Korean side has requested a prompt resumption of talks by proposing measures such as prioritizing the resolution of labor costs for Korean workers employed by the US Forces Korea after the January negotiations, but the US side has consistently been reluctant to schedule negotiations while continuing pressure outside the negotiation table.

If there is no meaningful change from this negotiation, it seems unavoidable that the unpaid leave situation for Korean workers employed by the US Forces Korea will occur. Accordingly, the South Korean delegation plans to focus on prioritizing the resolution of labor costs if differences cannot be narrowed while aiming for a complete agreement. The South Korean side had previously proposed a memorandum of understanding to the US side to prioritize the resolution of labor costs and continue additional negotiations.

On the 16th (local time), Special Representative Jeong arrived at Los Angeles Airport and told reporters, "We must first strive to conclude the main SMA negotiations as soon as possible," adding, "If concluding the main negotiations proves difficult, efforts should also be made to resolve the issues that have already been proposed."

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized, "The government maintains the basic position of sharing defense costs at a reasonable and fair level within the existing agreement framework and intends to closely consult with the US side to promptly reach a mutually acceptable agreement."

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