[ad_1]
Ambassador Chung Eun-bo (right) and US Representative Donna Wellton, who agreed to negotiate the ROK and US defense cost sharing in Washington DC on the 7th (local time). [사진 외교부]
On the 7th (local time), South Korea and the United States concluded negotiations on the XI Korea-United States Special Agreement to Share Defense Costs (SMA), which had deviated for more than a year and a half according to the former President Donald Trump. plans to increase significantly. 46 days have passed since the inauguration of Joe Biden’s administration.
WSJ “Applied for 6 years to stabilize the alliance”
Undisclosed rate of increase, strong observation of 13%
It seems to be announced before the visit to Korea on the 17th of Blincoln.
The Foreign Ministry said in a press release on the day that “the negotiating representatives of the two countries reached a main agreement with the 11th SMA Korea-United States. The government resolved the gap in the agreement and strengthened the defense posture. combined with the ROK-US Alliance. We will continue to contribute to it. ”
The US State Department also announced that “the negotiating team of the Republic of Korea and the United States agreed in principle on the new text of the SMA.” The State Department only responded to JoongAng Ilbo’s questions about the deal, saying, “The deal includes a significant increase from Korea.”
The two countries did not specifically disclose key details, such as the rate of increase in contributions or the validity period of the agreement. On the 8th (local time), Ambassador Chung Eun-bo told Yonhap News: “We agreed, but please understand that we have agreed with the United States that we will never comment on specific details before the completion of the internal procedure.”
In this regard, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) cited diplomatic sources, saying that the new agreement will apply for six years, from 2020 to 25. The six-year validity period, the WSJ reported, is intended to provide a means to stabilize the alliance in a situation where the ROK and the United States confront North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs and the threat of China’s military build-up.
Regarding the rate of increase, there are observations that the ‘13% increase plan’ of the 2019 contribution (1,389 trillion won), which was agreed between the US and the ROK in March of the year passed, but was not approved by the former president. of Trump, is influential. If applied retroactively, the contribution in 2020 is KRW 1,173.9 trillion, but Foreign Minister Eui-yong Chung said at the Foreign Communications Commission in February, “2020 is already frozen at the level of the previous year.” . In this case, KRW 1,173.9 billion will be a contribution in 2021.
Ambassador Jung said details of the deal are likely to be announced ahead of the ‘diplomatic and defense (2 + 2) talks between Korea and the United States’ held by Secretary of State Tony Blincoln and Defense Minister Lloyd Austin on day 17.
A government source familiar with the relevant circumstances noted that “if the rate of increase was agreed to 13%, Korea suffers many losses compared to the past” and “paradoxically, Biden enjoys the effect of pressure from Trump.” In fact, this is the first double-digit increase since 2005.
Washington = correspondent Park Hyun-young, Seoul = reporter Park Hyun-joo [email protected]
[ad_2]
