hankyoreh

James DeHart, the chief US negotiator in defense cost-sharing talks with South Korea, arrives at Incheon International Airport on Nov. 5.

The US is reportedly demanding nearly US$5 billion in its negotiations toward an 11th Special Measures Agreement (SMA) on defense cost sharing with South Korea, including “new items” concerning rotational deployment of US Forces Korea troops and costs for joint military exercises. Its aim appears to be overturning the existing agreement and adding new categories to substantially increase the share paid by the South. Analysts said that after concluding a “global review” launched last year on defense cost sharing for US troops stationed overseas, the Donald Trump administration is now looking to set an “example” with South Korea by substantially increasing its defense cost contributions ahead of negotiations with Japan and Germany.

“My understanding is that the US is emphasizing ‘creative’ things,” a key political figure told the Hankyoreh on Nov. 7 regarding the 11th round of defense cost sharing talks.

“By ‘creative,’ they’re talking about expanding the current scope of the defense cost agreement and adding new items,” they explained.

During a plenary session of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee the same day, Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha affirmed that the US is “demanding elements that go beyond the agreement,” explaining that there were “a lot of new elements” included among its demands. Items within South Korea’s share of defense costs as determined by the current agreement are grouped together with personnel costs for South Korean staffers under the USFK, military construction costs, and logistical support costs.

New costs for rotational deployment and joint military exercises

The new items reportedly included costs for the rotational deployment of USFK troops and costs for joint military exercises. As part of the US’ “rapid maneuvering” military strategy, USFK rotates troops from some of its Army and Air Force Units with mainland forces in six- to nine-month phases. While the associated costs have been covered fully by the US to date, it plans to begin asking South Korea to pay a share going forward.

The US is also reportedly insisting that South Korea pay for the increase in US forces from the mainland and elsewhere during joint military exercises. Its demands further extend to a share of support costs for USFK civilian employees and family members. It remains unclear whether direct personnel costs for USFK troops were included in the amount demanded.

In response, the South Korean government stressed its position that the current agreement framework should be kept in place with a rational and fair share of defense costs that is acceptable to the South Korean public, sources said. The average rate of increase in South Korea’s share of defense costs, national defense spending, and operating costs may be included in Seoul’s standards for a “rational” increase.

On Nov. 5, US negotiation officials including James DeHart, the State Department representative to defense cost sharing negotiations, arrived in South Korea for visits separate from the third round of SMA negotiations scheduled for later this month in Seoul – an unusual move that could be seen as the US reiterating its position while ramping up pressure on Seoul. The US representatives have reportedly focused their attention on gauging the response and currents in the National Assembly, including whether the US demands are likely to be accepted by South Korea.

While meeting with political figures, DeHart spoke about the defense cost sharing negotiations as part of Trump’s “big picture” within the broader scheme of things, referring specifically to NATO and stressing that the same things would be “demanded from other countries besides South Korea,” sources said. DeHart was quoted as saying that South Korea had been a “beneficiary” of US support to date, but would now need to “contribute” to costs for defense of the Korean Peninsula.

In the latest negotiations, the US is reportedly demanding that South Korea pay contribute close to US$5 billion toward defense costs as of next year. The amount is almost five times the US$1.04 Seoul is paying this year. A foreign affairs source said, “Realistically, it is looking like the US is going to trot out all the things it thinks it is contributing to the South Korea-US alliance and the defense of South Korea.” This means Washington could begin demanding payment for various military activities that could be interpreted as related to defending South Korea, both on and outside the Korean Peninsula. Commenting on the US’ demands after meeting with DeHart on Nov. 6, Yoon Sang-hyun, a lawmaker with the Liberty Korea Party (LKP), said, “We didn’t talk about the exact amount, but it looks like it will be about that much.”

“The amount includes not only costs for stationing USFK on the Korean Peninsula, but all the other costs for outside strategic assets for implementation of the Korean Peninsula security commitment,” he explained.

In negotiations for the 10th SMA last year, the US called for creating a new “operational support” category that included areas such as deployment of strategic assets, but it was not reflected in the final text after objections from the South Korean side. This year, however, with Trump personally ordering a major increase and devoting particular attention to the issue, the next question is whether Seoul can continue sticking to its guns in the next round of negotiations. Sources say Trump has pressed his negotiation team daily over whether any progress has been made with the defense cost sharing talks.

Some observers are pointing out that Washington’s insistence on Seoul covering other costs besides those associated with stationing of the USFK violates provisions in the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). After meeting with DeHart, Min Hong-chul, a lawmaker with the Democratic Party, explained, “We stressed three main points to the US: the South Korea-US alliance must not be undermined, things must be resolved in principle according to the constitution and parliamentary law on both sides, and it can only be ratified if it’s increase that the National Assembly is able to approve and the public is able to accept.”

“We also stressed that it cannot fall outside the scope of what SOFA prescribes,” he said.

In response, the US reportedly suggested the defense cost sharing negotiations themselves bore no connection to SOFA.

“We see the defense cost sharing agreement as being based in SOFA, and they [the US] seem to view it as an exception,” Min said.

Reports of unreasonable demands from the US have prompted growing criticism. During a Nov. 7 plenary session of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, Lee Seok-hyun, a Democratic Party lawmaker, told Kang Kyung-hwa to “make it clear to the US that an increase that is not reasonable will not be ratified by the National Assembly.” Yoon Sang-hyun, the committee’s chair, said, “Our position is that the people will not emotionally accept next year’s amount being increased by five times, and that this kind of approach will lead to the South Korea-US alliance devolving into a business transaction and the USFK troops into ‘hired guns.’”

Lee Jung-hyun, an independent lawmaker, said, “This kind of sudden demand is quite disappointing and dispiriting even to supporters of the alliance like me, and it could give rise to animosity.”

By Noh Ji-won, Seo Young-ji, and Kim Mi-na, staff reporters

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