Korea-US Hold Preliminary Signing Ceremony for Defense Cost-Sharing Agreement

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Defense Minister Suh Wook are taking a commemorative photo with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin before the Korea-U.S. Foreign and Defense Ministers' Meeting held on the morning of the 18th at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] South Korea and the United States held a signing ceremony for the Korea-US Special Measures Agreement (SMA) on defense cost-sharing on the 18th.

The SMA signing ceremony was held on the morning of the 18th at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, attended by Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, Minister of National Defense Suh Wook, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

On the Korean side, Ambassador Jeong Eun-bo, the chief negotiator for the Korea-US defense cost-sharing talks, and on the US side, Charg? d'Affaires Robert Rapson at the US Embassy in Korea, signed the agreement.

After completing domestic procedures and exchanging official letters between both sides, it is expected to take about two months until the process is fully completed.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "This resolves the 1 year and 3 months gap in the agreement," and evaluated that "by early resolving the Korea-US alliance issues since the Biden administration took office, it demonstrated the will to strengthen the Korea-US alliance."

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