S. Korea, U.S. to hold 2nd round of defense cost sharing talks next week

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, May 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States will hold their second round of negotiations in Seoul next week on the sharing of the costs for the upkeep of American soldiers stationed here, Seoul officials said Thursday.

The talks, set for Tuesday through Thursday, come about a month after the allies launched the negotiations on determining how much Seoul should shoulder for the stationing of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).

The current six-year deal, known as the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), is due to expire at the end of 2025. Under the latest and 11th SMA, South Korea agreed to raise the payment by 13.9 percent from 2019 to US$1.03 billion for 2021.

Lee Tae-woo, South Korea's chief negotiator, will host the U.S. delegation, led by his counterpart, Linda Specht, lead negotiator for security agreements at the State Department.

The first round of the SMA talks in Hawaii centered on exchanging each other's positions in principle, a Seoul official said earlier.

South Korea has emphasized that a new SMA deal should come at a "reasonable level to create conditions for a stable stationing of the USFK and to strengthen the allies' joint defense posture."

The U.S. has said it seeks to pursue a "fair and equitable" outcome in the defense burden sharing talks with Seoul.

Since 1991, Seoul has partially shouldered costs under the SMA for Korean USFK workers; the construction of military installations, such as barracks, and training, educational, operational and communications facilities; and other logistical support.

elly@yna.co.kr
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