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Lee Tae-woo, Korea’s new chief negotiator for the defense cost sharing with the United States, speaks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jongno District, Seoul, March 5. Yonhap
Korea and the United States will hold their first round of talks in Hawaii this week on sharing the cost for the upkeep of U.S. troops stationed here, Seoul’s foreign ministry said Monday.
The talks will take place in Honolulu, Hawaii, from Tuesday through Thursday (local time), led by Lee Tae-woo, Korea’s chief negotiator, and his U.S. counterpart, Linda Specht, the ministry said in a press release.
It will be their first meeting since Seoul and Washington named the two diplomats early last month to lead the negotiations on determining how much Seoul should shoulder for the stationing of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).
“The government will proceed with consultations under the position that our defense cost sharing should come at a reasonable level to create conditions for the stable stationing of the U.S. troops in Korea and to strengthen the allies’ joint defense posture,” the ministry said.
The launch of the talks comes earlier than expected, as the allies have agreed to push for an early start of the negotiations amid speculation that the move appears to consider the possibility of former U.S. President Donald Trump, known for his tough bargaining on such deals, getting reelected.
During Trump’s presidency, the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) negotiation was a major bone of contention as he demanded a hefty rise in Korea’s share of the cost for the USFK. He reportedly called for a fivefold increase to $5 billion.
Under the latest and 11th SMA, Korea agreed to raise the payment by 13.9 percent from 2019 to $1.03 billion for 2021.
The current SMA is set to expire at the end of 2025 under a six-year term.
Since 1991, Seoul has partially shouldered costs under the SMA for Korean USFK workers; the construction of military installations, such as barracks, and training, educational, operational and communications facilities; and other logistical support. (Yonhap)
