Ruling party vows not to ratify defenses deal

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea members of the National Defense Committee hold a joint press conference at the National Assembly, Tuesday, to urge the United States to stop its demands of “excessive” terms in negotiations for a defense cost-sharing deal and pledge to use parliamentary veto power to stop the U.S.' move. From left are Reps. Kim Jin-pyo, Hong Young-pyo, Min Hong-chul, Kim Byung-kee and Do Jong-hwan. Yonhap

By Park Ji-won

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmakers said Monday they will “refuse to ratify any excessive outcome of the ongoing defense cost-sharing negotiations” that deviate from the established principle and structure of previous agreements.

“Our position is clear. We were urging the United States to stop its demands to South Korea to pay a substantially higher amount of defense costs. The defense cost-sharing deal should be signed in accordance with fair and mutually acceptable principles,” Rep. Hong Young-pyo of the DPK, who is also a member of the National Assembly Defense Committee, said in a news conference at the Assembly, Tuesday.

Renegotiations of the defense cost-sharing agreement between South Korea and the United States require approval from the Assembly. Previously, lawmakers voted 131-26 in favor of the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), with 35 abstentions.

“DPK members of the committee urge Washington to stop tarnishing the value of the South-U.S. alliance by commercializing it,” senior DPK lawmaker Hong said.

“We urge Washington to sign a fair and mutually acceptable defense cost-sharing deal with Seoul at the meeting between defense chiefs of both countries and wish to make it clear that South Koreans and political circles will refuse to accept U.S. President Donald Trump's $5 billion demand in SMA negotiations,” another senior DPK lawmaker Kim Jin-pyo said.

Although the numbers being negotiated have not been officially disclosed, it is widely known that Trump has in the past suggested Korea pay $5 billion.

Rep. Min Hong-chul added that Seoul has been shouldering an appropriate amount of defense costs as one of the key allies of the U.S., by providing land and facilities for the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), which carry indirect and direct costs.

“South Korea also provides the U.S. the newly expanded Camp Humphreys, which is the largest U.S. overseas military base,” Rep. Min said. He added that Seoul's share of defense spending for the U.S. forces accounts for 0.068 percent of the country's average GDP, which is higher than that of Japan with 0.064 percent and Germany with 0.016 percent.

A few hours after the press conference, South Korean and U.S. officials broke off SMA cost-sharing negotiations, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

The foreign ministry said South Korea's position is that the SMA should be “within the mutually acceptable SMA framework” that has been agreed upon by Seoul and Washington for the past 28 years.

The press conference came a day after DPK floor leader Lee In-young clarified the party's position not to accept U.S. demands and asked the major political parties to stand behind the DPK's position on the matter.

As part of the Washington-initiated Indo-Pacific Strategy, the United States has been asking Seoul to cover costs for the deployment of U.S. strategic assets for non-aggression military exercises. Civic groups staged a rally in front of the SMA negotiation venue, asking for a cost freeze.

Lawmakers of the Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee plan to visit the U.S. next month to meet senior U.S. officials to explain Seoul's determination over the SMA.