South Korea’s government on Tuesday appointed a career diplomat named Lee Tae-woo to head up hasty negotiations to renew the country’s defense pact with the United States, which does not expire for two years.
Former President Donald Trump has specifically asked South Korea to increase its contributions by 500 percent. South Korea’s move to ensure the deal remains status quo well beyond the 2024 US presidential election could be interpreted as a way to prepare for Mr Trump’s possible return to the White House.
The Special Measures Agreement (SMA), which covers U.S. contributions to South Korea’s defense, has been renewed 11 times since 1991, most recently in April 2021 with an agreement lasting until 2025.
Under the 11th SMA, the administration of former President Moon Jae-in agreed to a 13.9% increase in fees for stationing US troops in South Korea. This is the first time that the Korean government’s contribution has increased by more than 10% in a single round of SMA, and the first time that the Korean government has exceeded $1 billion.
The last year of the Trump administration was denied The Korean side proposed a 13% increase. President Trump felt that South Korea was paying a pittance to take advantage of U.S. protection when its huge economy allowed it to shoulder a greater burden.
“This is a very strong alliance that we have, but South Korea is a wealthy country that can and should pay more to offset its defense costs,” Trump’s Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said. he said. Said In November 2019, after meeting with South Korea’s Jeong Kyung-doo.
Esper added that most of the funds in question are being used in South Korea to cover the living expenses of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, and that the funds will remain in South Korea rather than being sent to the United States.
Chung and Esper declined to give specific numbers, but South Korean media reported that President Trump wants to pay the South Korean government $4.7 billion in 2020. pay The amount at that time was approximately $830 million.
Negotiations remained stalled until March 2021, when an agreement in principle was announced that included what the U.S. State Department described as “meaningful increases” in payments from South Korea over the next five to six years. The SMA was to last until 2025, when it is finally finalized.
of diplomat report March 2021:
The breakdown in talks has real-world implications, with about 45% of South Korean employees working for the US Forces Korea. [United States Forces Korea] They were forced to go on furlough last year after failing to reach an agreement. With no agreement in place, the South Korean government and National Assembly had to work together to enact new laws and issue executive orders to temporarily pay workers.
The hasty appointment of Lee as Seoul’s new chief negotiator, two years ahead of schedule, appears to “reflect concerns about his chances of re-election” by Trump. Korea JoongAng Ilbo put it on tuesday.
When his appointment was announced, Lee said:
We have a heavy responsibility on our shoulders, but in order to provide a stable housing environment for the U.S. Forces in Korea, which is an important pillar of Korea-U.S. cooperation, we must achieve a reasonable level of defense spending through future negotiations. I will do my best. defensive posture.
South Korea has traditionally sent defense officials to the first few rounds of SMA negotiations, but under Moon, the delegation was headed by an economist. Lee, a former counselor at the South Korean embassy in Washington, will lead a negotiating team that includes officials from the foreign affairs, economy and defense ministries.
korean media report In January, it was reported that President Yoon Seok-Yeol’s administration was interested in starting SMA negotiations before the 2024 US presidential election, and the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs would not comment on these reports. He also refused to confirm that South Korea wants to conclude a new agreement before President Trump returns. To the office.
