(August 8) In comments yesterday, US President Donald Trump demanded that South Korea pay substantially more to the US for defending them against North Korea. Trump has continually made that demand since he was elected.
South Korea agreed last year to a significant increase
Trump pointed out that last year the South agreed to a substantial increase in payment to the US when the payment was increased to $990 million per year. After crediting himself for obtaining that raise, he is asking even more. Trump believes that the US pays too much of the defense costs of its ally.
A recent article reports: "Trump also said in the tweet that talks have already begun with South Korea on increasing the $990 million it now pays the U.S. for defense. The president said South Korea should pay "substantially more money to the United States" for the country's help defending it from North Korea. 'South Korea is a very wealthy nation that now feels an obligation to contribute to the military defense provided by the United States of America,' Trump wrote."
A larger payment may be a hard sell in South Korea
Not only did South Korea agree to a large increase last year, but it has had to start negotiations again as Trump has become involved and is demanding more. Furthermore, these agreements are meant to be multi-year. Last year happened to be a year the agreement was up for negotiation. Now it looks as if the US is going to try to raise payments annually rather than keeping the present agreement for several years.
South Korea did not immediately respond to Trump's remarks. The issue of payments for South Korean defense will likely be discussed when US Defense Secretary Mike Esper visits South Korea this Wednesday.
Trump's tweet on Wednesday comes just after a missile launch the day before that the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un claimed was a warning about the planned joint military exercises planned between the US and South Korean forces. There is no sign that the launch will cause any change in plans for the exercises.
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