Cheong Wa Dae denies Trump remarks on defense cost-sharing

Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom / Yonhap

South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday dismissed the possibility of steep hikes in the country's share of the costs to maintain U.S. troops here, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said Seoul has agreed to nearly double its share.

Trump also claimed that Seoul's share of the costs will continue to rise over the coming years.

"In the latest negotiations, (the sides) set the duration of their agreement at one year. But (the agreement) can be extended by one year when the two sides agree (to do so)," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told a press briefing.

"Therefore, the sides may decide to keep it at the current level after reviewing the need for an increase. And so, I hope (they) will not treat this issue of an increase as an established fact," he added.

In a Cabinet meeting held Tuesday (Washington time), Trump said Seoul has agreed to pay an additional US$500 million as part of its burden-sharing in keeping 28,500 U.S. forces in Korea.

"They were paying about $500 million for $5 billion worth of protection. And we have to do better than that. So they've agreed to pay $500 million more. And over the years, it will start going up," Trump said.

However, under an agreement initialed by the countries' diplomats at the beginning of the week, South Korea's share will only go up by about $70 million, or 8.2 percent, from $850 million to $920 million.

The Cheong Wa Dae spokesman's remarks apparently dismissed the possibility of an imminent increase. (Yonhap)