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Photo taken from Wired[/caption]
WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump on Tuesday called for a further increase in South Korea's share of the cost of stationing American troops on the peninsula.
Trump's remarks came only days after the allies signed a preliminary agreement renewing their cost-sharing deal for the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea, Yonhap news agency reported.
"As you know, South Korea -- we defend them and lose a tremendous amount of money," the US president said at a Cabinet meeting, repeating a signature refrain.
"Billions of dollars a year defending them. They agreed, at my request. And working with Secretary (of State) Pompeo and (National Security Adviser) John Bolton, they agreed to pay, yesterday, US$500 million more towards their defence," he claimed. "Five-hundred million, with a couple of phone calls. I said, 'Why didn't you do this before?' They said, 'Nobody asked.' So -- it's got to go up. It's got to go up."
The cited numbers don't align with the formal announcement that South Korea agreed to increase its contribution by 8.2 per cent to some 1.04 trillion won (US$920 million) under a one-year deal.
The previous five-year Special Measures Agreement expired at the end of last year amid an impasse over US demands for as much as a twofold increase in Seoul's contribution.
Last year, Seoul paid 960 billion won (US$853 million) towards the wages of South Korean civilian workers at US bases and other costs.
"They were paying about US$500 million for US$5 billion worth of protection," Trump claimed. "And we have to do better than that. So they've agreed to pay US$500 million more. And over the years, it will start going up, and they will be terrific. And they've been very good."
Trump said the US has a "great relationship" with South Korea and with President Moon Jae In.
"And we're doing great things. And North Korea is coming along," he added, apparently referring to denuclearisation negotiations with Pyongyang.
Trump is set to hold a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam, Feb 27-28. The two men are expected to seek a deal on dismantling the regime's nuclear weapons program in exchange for "corresponding measures" from the US.
-BERNAMA
