By Kim Bo-eun
The U.S. is seeking to add a new category of operational support to the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) that outlines what South Korea must pay for the presence of U.S. forces here.
In a twitter post, the U.S. underlined its proposal to add the operational support category during the fifth round of talks held at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) near Seattle last week.
The category would make South Korea pay for the deployment of U.S. strategic assets here, although the currently halted joint military exercises have mostly eliminated circumstances in which this occurs. The SMA currently covers costs for three categories ― personnel expenses, military supplies and construction of military facilities.
"South Korea's stance is that the SMA is about the cost of stationing U.S. troops here, so we cannot accept the category of operational support," a foreign ministry official told reporters, Tuesday.
The tweet posted by the U.S. State Department's political-military affairs bureau stated the location of the talks "highlights the newly proposed category."
"This was meant to show that at times of an emergency on the Korean Peninsula, not only the USFK, but also forces and assets stationed on the U.S. mainland could be mobilized," the official said.
The new proposal is seen as a means to increase the amount South Korea must pay in defense costs.
The official said he could not specify how much the U.S. asked for, but said "it is a considerable amount that we cannot accept."
"We have maintained that we are making sufficient contributions and that the current amount we are shouldering is sufficient," he said.
The U.S. made the demand, despite the current detente on the Korean Peninsula following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's meetings with President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump. "The stance of the U.S. is that circumstances on the peninsula could change and therefore it is important to maintain a firm joint defensive posture."
Official figures of the governments of South Korea and the U.S. maintain Seoul is paying 42 percent of the costs, but a civic group claimed South Korea paid over 70 percent in 2016, considering the sites it provides for military bases.
The last SMA renewal expires at the end of the year and talks are ongoing to make a new one to go into effect next year. The SMA was first made in 1991, and has been renewed eight times.
The next round of talks is set to take place in mid August in Seoul.
The U.S. is seeking to add a new category of operational support to the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) that outlines what South Korea must pay for the presence of U.S. forces here.
In a twitter post, the U.S. underlined its proposal to add the operational support category during the fifth round of talks held at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) near Seattle last week.
The category would make South Korea pay for the deployment of U.S. strategic assets here, although the currently halted joint military exercises have mostly eliminated circumstances in which this occurs. The SMA currently covers costs for three categories ― personnel expenses, military supplies and construction of military facilities.
"South Korea's stance is that the SMA is about the cost of stationing U.S. troops here, so we cannot accept the category of operational support," a foreign ministry official told reporters, Tuesday.
The tweet posted by the U.S. State Department's political-military affairs bureau stated the location of the talks "highlights the newly proposed category."
"This was meant to show that at times of an emergency on the Korean Peninsula, not only the USFK, but also forces and assets stationed on the U.S. mainland could be mobilized," the official said.
The new proposal is seen as a means to increase the amount South Korea must pay in defense costs.
The official said he could not specify how much the U.S. asked for, but said "it is a considerable amount that we cannot accept."
"We have maintained that we are making sufficient contributions and that the current amount we are shouldering is sufficient," he said.
The U.S. made the demand, despite the current detente on the Korean Peninsula following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's meetings with President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump. "The stance of the U.S. is that circumstances on the peninsula could change and therefore it is important to maintain a firm joint defensive posture."
Official figures of the governments of South Korea and the U.S. maintain Seoul is paying 42 percent of the costs, but a civic group claimed South Korea paid over 70 percent in 2016, considering the sites it provides for military bases.
The last SMA renewal expires at the end of the year and talks are ongoing to make a new one to go into effect next year. The SMA was first made in 1991, and has been renewed eight times.
The next round of talks is set to take place in mid August in Seoul.
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