Kang Seung-woo is the Business Desk editor at The Korea Times. Prior to this position, he covered politics, national affairs, finance and sports.
Activists up in arms against US call for higher USFK bill
A member of a civic group protests the U.S. government's call for higher payment for stationing American forces on the Korean Peninsula at Incheon International Airport, Sunday, as James DeHart, chief U.S. negotiator in defense cost-sharing talks with Korea, arrives in Korea. / Yonhap
By Kang Seung-woo
By Kang Seung-woo
Five hundred activists took to the streets in Seoul, Saturday, to protest the U.S.' repeated calls for the government to drastically increase its contributions toward the cost of stationing American forces on the Korean Peninsula.
Fifty civic groups, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and progressive organizations participated in a rally held near Gwanghwamun, where the U.S. Embassy is located.
“The United States is conspicuously showing its true intention to pressure Korea with the Korea-U.S. military alliance, while being indifferent to peace on the peninsula,” they said.
“We have to put an end to the subordinate relationship.”
The protesters urged the U.S. to withdraw its demand, noting that 96 percent of respondents in a recent survey opposed any sharp rise in Korea's share of the cost.
The rally occurred as Washington has amped up pressure on Seoul to pay $5 billion (5.81 trillion won), over five times the current amount.
Negotiations on the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) stipulating how to share the cost of maintaining the 28,500 U.S. troops here are underway. The current SMA between the two countries, under which Korea agreed to pay $870 million, is set to expire at the end of the year.
The allies will hold the third round of negotiations on cost-sharing today and Tuesday at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses in Seoul.
The civic groups plan to stage a rally in front of the venue, today.