Do Je-hae edits news stories as part of the AI team.
Concerns growing over possible reduction of US troops
In this Jan. 9, 2020, file photo, President Donald Trump points as he arrives to speak at a campaign rally, in Toledo, Ohio. AP-Yonhap
By Do Je-hae
By Do Je-hae
The latest U.S. media reports are hinting at a possible reduction of U.S. troops stationed in Korea.
In an article titled “Trump administration weighs troop cut in South Korea,” The Wall Street Journal reported on July 19 that the Pentagon had reported options to “reduce the American troop presence in South Korea” to the White House.
The WSJ report comes amid the rocky bilateral negotiations on the Korea-U.S. Special Measures Agreement (SMA) to determine Korea's share of the costs for maintaining U.S. forces here, raising speculation that Trump is willing to seriously consider a troop reduction as leverage to extract a better deal with Korea.
Quoting a U.S. military official, the WSJ reported that the Pentagon has “reviewed the structure of U.S. forces in South Korea as a part of a broader re-examination of how to reposition and potentially reduce military deployments world-wide,” including the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe. In June, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed plans to cut troops in Germany, down to 25,000 from the current 34,500, which has raised concerns from NATO and Berlin over mutual security.
"We routinely review global force posture, our forces remain postured to respond to any threat, and the president has been clear and consistent regarding cost sharing worldwide,” a Pentagon official was quoted as saying to Yonhap.
The WSJ report comes as the two countries have been unable to close the gap on the SMA negotiations, as Trump has continued to criticize Korea for paying “peanuts” for the U.S. troops.
Seoul has proposed a 13 percent increase from the 2019 SMA, which was around $870 million. But Washington reportedly wants $1.3 billion a year, about a 50 percent increase.
The latest reports said Trump once again underlined his discontent over the U.S. presence in Korea, saying “they don't pay us” during a private event sponsored by the Republican Governors Association. The remark was made public in a column by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan in the Washington Post.
According to the governor who has a Korean-born wife, Trump made some derogatory remarks about President Moon Jae-in and South Koreans, describing them as “terrible people.”
Trump's handling of the SMA and treatment of Korea is being criticized even among experts in Washington.
“I am all for asking allies and partners to pay more and share the burden of defense. However, treating South Korea like this is wrong. They do pay 'their fair share,'” Harry Kazianis, senior director of Korean Studies at the Center for the National Interest, said on Twitter.
Cheong Wa Dae has emphasized the need for an equitable share and close communication for mutual benefit.
“We checked on the progress of the defense cost sharing negotiations and will continue to engage in close consultations with the U.S. to settle the SMA at an early date,” Cheong Wa Dae said in a statement after a National Security Council meeting on July 2.