South Korea and the U.S. are discussing sharing defense costs of American troops stationed on the Korean Peninsula. <br />They are trying to finalize a deal,... as the existing five-year accord from 2014 expires in a matter of weeks. <br />Kan Hyeong-woo tells us more. <br /> <br />South Korea and the United States are holding their tenth round of negotiations of the year... over the Special Measures Agreement - that is sharing defense costs for the stationing of some 28,500 American troops on the Korean Peninsula.<br /><br />From Tuesday to Thursday, the allies will try to reach a deal which should take effect starting next year. <br />The current five-year deal signed in early 2014 will expire at the end of December.<br /><br />One of the biggest bones of contention is how much each side will have to pay. <br />Under the existing deal, Seoul contributed around 850 million U.S. dollars in 2018 alone to have U.S. Forces Korea on its soil.<br /><br />But last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that President Trump wants Seoul to pay as much as double the current amount. <br /><br />After the 9th round of talks last month, Seoul's foreign ministry said the two sides made some progress in finalizing a deal, but they are still in the process of narrowing their differences in certain areas.<br /><br />Another issue is Washington's demand that Seoul pay for a new category of expenses called "operational support," which is for American troops outside the Peninsula. <br />This "operational support" includes the deployment of aircraft carriers, long-range bombers and nuclear submarines. <br /><br />But South Korea is standing firm that it will only contribute money to three areas, which are payroll, construction and logistics,… as it has in the past.<br /><br />Led by Ambassador Chang Won-sam, the South Korean delegation will seek to strike a deal with the U.S. negotiation team led by Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Timothy Betts. <br />Kan Hyeong-woo, Arirang News. <br />
