The Trump administration has backed down from its demands that South Korea pay five times more to host U.S. military personnel, according to South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper.
Instead, the two sides likely are to agree on hike as much as 20% increase in South Korea’s contribution and an expanded purchase for American weapons, the newspaper noted.
"The two sides began narrowing their differences and moved toward a smaller increase in defense cost-sharing," Chosun Ilbo quoted an unidentified diplomatic source.
Bloomberg reported U.S. negotiators had walked out of a meeting on troop funding last month after South Korea questioned the requested increase. But the two sides resumed discussions in December.
President Donald Trump has accused South Korea of being a rich nation that is profiting off the U.S. military forces.
The current deal between the two nations expires at the end of the year, but both sides are expected to agree to an extension. The U.S. has 28,500 military personnel in South Korea.
Chosun Ilbo reported the final deal is not expected until February.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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