By Jun Ji-hye
Seoul and Washington are at odds over expenses to operate the KATUSA program after the number of South Korean soldiers assigned to U.S. Army operations in Korea increased by 170 in 2014 compared to the previous year, according to sources.
KATUSA stands for the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army ― a military program initiated during the Korean War in August 1950.
The Military Manpower Administration selected a total of 2,100 soldiers through a random draw to be mobilized as KATUSAs in 2014. A total of 1,930 soldiers were enlisted in 2013.
A source said that such increase was made at the request of the U.S. military.
"U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) asked the South to reinforce the KATUSAs following a decrease in the country's arms budget, and Seoul agreed to it," said the source, asking not to be named. "The request was apparently seen as the USFK's intention to make the most use of our KATUSAs, who are as great as, or much better than, American soldiers, at no cost," he said.
Indeed, 8th U.S. Army (EUSA) commander Lt. Gen. Bernard Champoux had said during an interview with The Korea Times in January that he asked ROK Army Chief of Staff Gen. Kwon Oh-sung to give him more KATUSAs.
The source noted, however, that such an increase, which will cause additional costs in management, would be one of the causes for delayed talks in drawing up details of a new USFK defense cost-sharing agreement.
In April, the National Assembly approved a motion to ratify the cost-sharing pact signed between Seoul and Washington, which stipulates that the former pays 920 billion won ($884 million) this year.
However, the money has yet to be executed as the two sides' working level discussion is still ongoing.
"The two agreed with the total amount, but not with how to use that money," said the source.
He pointed out that the situations showed that reducing the number of KATUSAs would have made more sense than increasing it, because a number of U.S. soldiers left Seoul.
Given this, Seoul is probably asking Washington to appreciate the value of KATUSAs and cooperate in drawing up more effective ways of coping with the cost problems, he added.
According to Rep. Park Joo-sun of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy last year, the South Korean government spent 6.4 trillion won from 2007 to 2010 as direct and indirect supporting expenses for USFK. This includes operating KATUSAs, offering real estate and discounting electric bills and water fees for U.S. forces.
The lawmaker argued that the money is more than the 3.1 trillion won that the government spent as defense cost-sharing during the same period.
Given this background, the South called on the U.S. to recognize the value of KATUSAs when the two were holding meetings last year to reach consensus on the total amount of the cost-sharing.
Seoul and Washington are at odds over expenses to operate the KATUSA program after the number of South Korean soldiers assigned to U.S. Army operations in Korea increased by 170 in 2014 compared to the previous year, according to sources.
KATUSA stands for the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army ― a military program initiated during the Korean War in August 1950.
The Military Manpower Administration selected a total of 2,100 soldiers through a random draw to be mobilized as KATUSAs in 2014. A total of 1,930 soldiers were enlisted in 2013.
A source said that such increase was made at the request of the U.S. military.
"U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) asked the South to reinforce the KATUSAs following a decrease in the country's arms budget, and Seoul agreed to it," said the source, asking not to be named. "The request was apparently seen as the USFK's intention to make the most use of our KATUSAs, who are as great as, or much better than, American soldiers, at no cost," he said.
Indeed, 8th U.S. Army (EUSA) commander Lt. Gen. Bernard Champoux had said during an interview with The Korea Times in January that he asked ROK Army Chief of Staff Gen. Kwon Oh-sung to give him more KATUSAs.
The source noted, however, that such an increase, which will cause additional costs in management, would be one of the causes for delayed talks in drawing up details of a new USFK defense cost-sharing agreement.
In April, the National Assembly approved a motion to ratify the cost-sharing pact signed between Seoul and Washington, which stipulates that the former pays 920 billion won ($884 million) this year.
However, the money has yet to be executed as the two sides' working level discussion is still ongoing.
"The two agreed with the total amount, but not with how to use that money," said the source.
He pointed out that the situations showed that reducing the number of KATUSAs would have made more sense than increasing it, because a number of U.S. soldiers left Seoul.
Given this, Seoul is probably asking Washington to appreciate the value of KATUSAs and cooperate in drawing up more effective ways of coping with the cost problems, he added.
According to Rep. Park Joo-sun of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy last year, the South Korean government spent 6.4 trillion won from 2007 to 2010 as direct and indirect supporting expenses for USFK. This includes operating KATUSAs, offering real estate and discounting electric bills and water fees for U.S. forces.
The lawmaker argued that the money is more than the 3.1 trillion won that the government spent as defense cost-sharing during the same period.
Given this background, the South called on the U.S. to recognize the value of KATUSAs when the two were holding meetings last year to reach consensus on the total amount of the cost-sharing.
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