Korea, US step closer to restoring alliance

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong speaks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in their first telephone conversation, Feb. 12, after Chung took office, Feb. 9. The two reaffirmed the bilateral alliance and saw eye to eye on the need for accelerated defense cost-sharing talks and combined military exercises in the spring, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Yonhap

Allies expected to strike deal on defense cost-sharing soon

By Yi Whan-woo

South Korea and the United States are stepping closer to getting their security alliance back on track, with accelerated defense cost-sharing talks and combined military exercises in the spring planned to resume in March.

Their moves follow new U.S. President Joe Biden's goal of restoring the bilateral alliance, which former U.S. President Donald Trump deemed too costly and going against his policy of prioritizing U.S. interests.

CNN reported on Feb. 11 citing sources that the two allies are "narrowing in on a new cost-sharing agreement" for maintaining the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK). It said Seoul and Washington "could be just weeks away" from striking a deal.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a diplomatic source said on Feb. 12 the two sides are "working closely to reach a mutually acceptable agreement at an early date."

Another source speculated a deal can be made "within this month, and if not, within March at the latest."

Also on Feb. 12, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken saw eye to eye on the need for joint efforts to "promptly strike the deal."

A possible deal would conclude negotiations over the 11th Special Measures Agreement (SMA) that began in September 2019 but were strained with the allies remaining miles apart on how much of the costs South Korea should bear to maintain 28,500 USFK personnel here.

Washington had demanded that Seoul pay up to 400 percent more, while the latter suggested around a 13 percent increase as its best possible offer.

The U.S. also asked to make the SMA, which had been a multi-year agreement prior to the Trump administration, into a one-year deal in an attempt to hike South Korea's sharing of the costs.

After seven rounds of the 11th SMA talks as of December 2020, the two sides began the eighth round of negotiations on Feb. 5.

According to CNN, the deal is likely to be a multi-year agreement with around a 13 percent increase for South Korea's contribution as suggested by its negotiators in the seventh round of talks.

"It will be a reasonable deal that reflects joint efforts to move forward in tandem with the Biden administration's foreign policy, said Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University.

A possible 13 percent increase is still far more than South Korea's initial suggestion of a 4 percent hike in the early stages of the 11th SMA talks. This leaves room for dispute, especially considering the 13 percent increase will be highest in SMA history. The previous record was 8.2 percent during the Trump administration.

"I nevertheless think the deal will be mutually beneficial for both South Korea and the U.S. considering the diplomatic tussle over the SMA and concerns over the alliance," Shin said.

Regarding the annual joint military exercise in spring, multiple military sources said a computer-simulated command post exercise (CPX) is scheduled to begin in the second week of March.

"It will last for nine days," a source said, adding discussions are underway over exact dates, the scale of the drills and other details taking the pandemic into account.

In 2020, the COVID-19 crisis forced the two allies to cancel their spring exercises while downsizing summer drills.

Trump has been skeptical about the routine combined exercises. He had called them "war games" and demanded that they come to an end.

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