US to Soon Notify South Korean Workers at USFK of Unpaid Leave

Negotiation Gap Narrowed but Pressure Reinforced Again
"Thankful for Hormuz Dispatch but Defense Costs Are Irrelevant"

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] If the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) on defense cost-sharing between South Korea and the United States is not reached, reports say that the U.S. will soon notify Korean workers employed by the U.S. Forces Korea of unpaid leave.

Bloomberg News reported on the 23rd (local time), citing U.S. officials, that the U.S. Forces Korea plans to notify workers 60 days in advance that wages may be cut due to the expiration of the 10th SMA on defense cost-sharing.

Earlier, Steven Williams, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Forces Korea, sent a letter to the nationwide U.S. Forces Korea Korean Workers Union on October last year, stating that if the 11th SMA agreement is not reached, unpaid leave could be implemented starting April 1, following the first notification on January 31.

Since no conclusion was reached in the recent defense cost-sharing negotiations between South Korea and the U.S., this is interpreted as a U.S. negotiation strategy to increase pressure on South Korea.

Recently, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper have strengthened their offensive ahead of the conclusion of the defense cost-sharing negotiations, advocating for an increase in South Korea's contribution through a joint media op-ed.

Bloomberg also reported that the U.S. initially proposed additional purchases of U.S.-made defense equipment to South Korea but is now focusing its negotiation strategy on other areas such as additional burdens related to the rotational deployment of U.S. Forces Korea. The news agency added that the U.S. is demanding South Korea to bear more defense costs in the context of the transfer of wartime operational control.

The official also said, as Bloomberg introduced, "While we appreciate South Korea's independent dispatch decision to the Hormuz Strait, it will not be factored into the defense cost-sharing negotiations."