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The fourth round of negotiations for regarding the cost-sharing agreement for South Korea-US joint military exercises in Seoul on June 26. (photo pool)
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SK and US continue negotiations to conclude 10th Special Measures Agreement
The South Korean government responded to recent comments from US President Donald Trump’s recent comments calling for South Korea to pay for the South Korea-US joint military exercises, saying the exercises were “mutually beneficial” and that in the case of joint military exercises, the usual practice is for each participant state to pay for its own expenses. Representatives from South Korea and the US met for the seventh time on Sept. 19-20 in Washington, DC, to discuss the conclusion of the 10th Special Measures Agreement, and the above statements can be attributed to a South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official who was present at the talks. “While it is true that the joint military exercises help with security, [the exercises] aren’t just beneficial to one side. They are also beneficial to the US,” the official said. The official added this was an area in which the US could perhaps exercise more understanding. In a press briefing in New York on Sept. 26, President Trump said “[. . .] frankly, I told South Korea, ‘You should be paying for these games [the joint military exercises].” Trump has called the South Korea-US joint military exercises “military games” multiple times and raised the issue of cost sharing in previous instances. However, as this particular remark came almost immediately after the South Korea-US summit on Sept. 24, and given that both countries have entered the final stage of negotiations, it is expected that the effects will be directly felt in any upcoming negotiations. Based on President Trump’s remarks, MOFA predicts that the US delegation, which is scheduled to visit South Korea in the middle of October for the eighth meeting, will adopt an aggressive attitude during the negotiations. Furthermore, from the beginning of the talks for the conclusion of the 10th Special Measures Agreement for defense cost-sharing on the Korean Peninsula, the US has created a new category for “operational support” and requested that South Korea share the costs of deploying strategic weapons. Concerning this issue, the question of how the changing circumstances of the Korean Peninsula following the North Korea-US summit on June 12 will influence the US position has also provoked interest. “It’s a sensitive issue,” said the MOFA official, in answer to a question to a potential change in the U.S. stance, and added, “Please understand that it is difficult to give a direct yes-or-no answer to such a question.” This response contrasts to that of MOFA, which has maintained that “there is no change in the US stance.” It is difficult to ascertain exactly what is being deliberated regarding cost sharing for the deployment of strategic assets. This meeting did not bring either of the two countries any closer to an agreement on the total cost of South Korea’s share of joint military exercises, which could be described as the key issue in the 10th Special Measures Agreement. The Foreign Ministry representative only said, “There is still a big difference in opinion.” The 9th Special Measures Agreement will expire on Dec. 31 of this year. With the goal of concluding a new agreement by the end of this year, both countries are negotiating a “package deal” that includes a defense cost-sharing agreement for next year and beyond. According to the MOFA official, “Both countries are negotiating a package deal so that they might get closer to an agreement on key issues such as the total sum [of the cost-sharing], the period of the agreement, the rate of increase per annum, and reforming the cost-sharing system.” This can be taken to mean that the countries have made progress on issues such as reforming the cost-sharing system, and are discussing it alongside issues such as the total sum, the period of the agreement, and the rate of increase, to find a deal that both parties can agree to. The MOFA official also said that “Both the United States and Korea are aware that, assuming that they will negotiate a deal that both parties can accept, they must ensure that for the secure stationing of US Forces Korea there must not be any gaps in the cost sharing, and in this sense have agreed to focus on resolving their differences.” By Kim Ji-eun, staff reporter Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
