Seoul says Trump is wrong on US$500m

SOUTH Korea’s presidential Blue House pushed back yesterday against comments by US President Donald Trump that suggested Seoul had agreed to pay US$500 million more toward maintaining US troops in the country.

Trump said at a Cabinet meeting in Washington on Tuesday Seoul had agreed to pay US$500 million more as part of an agreement sharing the cost of keeping roughly 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea.

“They were paying about US$500 million for US$5 billion worth of protection,” Trump said. “And we have to do better than that. So they’ve agreed to pay US$500 million more.”

Under the previous agreement — which lapsed amid disagreements in December — South Korea contributed 960 billion won (US$857 million) in 2018.

South Korean and American officials initialled an agreement on Sunday under which Seoul would increase its contribution to just under 1.04 trillion won, an increase of about US$70.3 million.

Kim Eui-kyeom, a spokesman for the presidential Blue House in Seoul, said when asked about Trump’s US$500 million figure that it “shouldn’t be taken as a fait accompli.”

Washington demanded during the negotiations that South Korea pay 50 percent more than its 2018 contribution, according to South Korean officials. The new agreement amounts to an increase of about 8 percent.

The agreement signed on Sunday must still be approved by South Korea’s parliament. Kim said it was valid for only one year, with the possibility of an extension for another year if both sides agreed.

“Both sides will consider whether a raise is needed and it’s also possible that they would agree to maintain the current level,” Kim said. The two sides had struggled to reach a breakthrough, despite at least 10 rounds of talks since March.

(Reuters)