US Secretary of State and Defense Secretary Urge South Korea to Increase Contribution to National Defense

WSJ Op-Ed: "South Korea is an Ally, Not a Dependent"

President Trump Shares View That "South Korea is a Wealthy Country and Should Pay More for Defense"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] On the 16th (local time), the U.S. Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense urged South Korea to contribute more to its own defense by calling for increased defense cost-sharing.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, in an op-ed titled "South Korea is an Ally, not a Dependent" published in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that day, stated, "U.S. presidents have long asked allies to pay more for their own defense, but the results have been insufficient," emphasizing that "now, as the U.S. and South Korea face large and complex challenges, the current situation must no longer be allowed to continue."

This reflects agreement with President Donald Trump's pressure for increased defense costs, as he said, "South Korea is a wealthy country."

The two secretaries further said, "South Korea is a country where democracy thrives and has developed into the world's 12th largest economy, and we celebrate this success together," adding, "We also appreciate South Korea's contributions to the alliance, such as deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq."

They stressed that as a sovereign ally, South Korea should share more of the defense costs. They argued, "We live in an era of unprecedented threats," and "(South Korea), as a global economic power and an equal partner in maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula, can and should contribute more to its own defense."

They also noted, "South Korea currently bears only one-third of the most direct costs of U.S. military presence on the Korean Peninsula," adding, "As costs increase, South Korea's share decreases. The U.S. contribution to South Korea's defense far exceeds the on-site U.S. military presence costs and represents a much greater burden on U.S. taxpayers than it appears."

They described South Korea paying more for defense as a 'win-win' strategy for both countries. They said, "Improving the details of the cost-sharing agreement will benefit both sides," explaining, "More than 90% of the contributions currently paid by South Korea directly return to the local economy in the form of salaries for Koreans employed by the U.S. Forces Korea, construction contracts, and locally purchased services. This is good for both countries."