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A teleconference co-hosted by the Korea Press Foundation and the US East-West Center on the COVID-19 pandemic and the politics of the Korean Peninsula. (YouTube screen capture)

On May 20, Marc Knapper, the US deputy assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said that the US is “working very hard” to conclude a Special Measures Agreement (SMA) on defense cost-sharing with South Korea, adding that it was in both sides’ interest to achieve progress with the talks.

Knapper’s remarks came as part of a teleconference on the topic, “The Global Spread of COVID-19 and the Korean Peninsula Political Situation” jointly held that morning by the Korea Press Foundation and the US-based East-West Center. In previous seminars within the US, Knapper had contributed to pressing Seoul for a larger defense cost share, expressing hopes for “flexibility” from the South Korean government. For the latest discussion, he focused on the negotiations, emphasizing the importance of a fair division of costs.

Regarding the variable of US President Donald Trump’s role in the defense cost-sharing negotiations, Knapper noted that Trump had clearly indicated in his election campaign that he wanted to “figure out a way to have a fair share of the burden among allies, not just South Korea but others, whether in Northeast Asia or Europe, to lessen the burden on American taxpayers.”

“We want to do it in a way [. . .] that ultimately will benefit the alliance and ultimately will strengthen our capabilities as allies,” he continued.

S. Korean position still at odds with US

Appearing as a presenter on the South Korean side, Ko Yun-ju, director of the North America bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), reiterated the position that the sharing of defense costs between South Korea and the US “must be done rationally and fairly.”

Stressing that it is “not desirable to have the negotiations dragging on into the long term,” Ko said the two sides were “continuing to communicate,” adding that they would “work to achieve a swift conclusion on this basis.”

“Fundamentally, we share the view that the negotiations must be concluded within this year, and I imagine we can achieve a positive result if we continue the negotiations on this basis,” he said.

South Korea and the US have been holding negotiations since September 2019 on the 11th defense cost sharing agreement, which is to apply for this year, but they have yet to reach a conclusion. In late March, the two sides tentatively agreed on a 13% increase, but failed to reach a final agreement after Trump refused to accept it.

Commenting on the deadlocked denuclearization discussions between North Korea and the US, Knapper said, “The US policy right now is to leave the door open to diplomacy and [. . .] we remain committed to our efforts that began in Singapore, continued through Hanoi and through several other lower-level meetings.”

By Kim So-youn, staff reporter

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