▲ ROK-US chief representatives in negotiating defense sharing
A US State Department official said it was fair and balanced, saying that South Korea has made a meaningful contribution to the conclusion of the ROK-US defense share agreement.
State Department officials said in a press briefing held by phone on the 10th of the local time that the settlement was the highest rate of increase in share since 2004. “It is a great emphasis on the importance that both the US and Korea have placed on our alliance.
The two countries have agreed to raise Korea’s USFK defense cost share this year by 13.9% from last year, reflecting the annual increase in defense spending over the next four years.
This is the highest increase since 25.7% of the 5th Agreement in 2002, which was the highest ever.
US officials estimate that the six-year agreement, in effect from 2020, will total over $7 billion, saying it is “an important and meaningful contribution from the Korean side.”
“In terms of the spirit of this friendship and the seriousness of the challenges ahead, we have found a fair and balanced cost-sharing,” said President Biden, who made it clear to revitalize the alliance.
The official said, “I don’t think it is appropriate to compare countries,” he said. Said it was very different.
Japan extended the terms of the previous agreement by one year in order to gain time to negotiate a multi-year agreement, which explains that it cannot be directly compared with Korea, which has reached a six-year multi-year agreement.
The official also said that rather than negotiating the increase itself, it focused on what needs to be treated as a contribution from South Korea.
He explained that under the new agreement, South Korea’s contribution is about 44% of the USFK’s stationing costs, excluding American labor costs, which is consistent with the trend of 40-45% of the past.
It is argued that it is not an excessive increase in terms of the proportion of Korea’s contributions alone.
“It is particularly delightful that our most important alliance, South Korea, has achieved an important first milestone,” the official recounted the Biden administration’s key to revitalizing the alliance and the challenges it faces.