The United States is demanding that South Korea pay an annual $1.2 billion (£918 million) to continue stationing troops on the peninsula, an increase of more than 40 percent on the amount that Seoul presently pays towards the 28,500 US troops deployed in the South.

Washington’s demand, put to officials in Seoul during their latest round of negotiations on the issue in December, was refused by the South Korean government - although the US ambassador to Seoul has since reportedly hinted that Washington may choose to interpret the two nations’ security treaty differently if it is not accepted.

That position, leaked to the domestic media, has triggered anger in South Korea, where the government has indicated it is able to pay a maximum of $886 million to keep the US forces in place.

It is also being reported that the request passed on by Harry Harris, the US ambassador, was unexpected and came shortly after President Donald Trump openly criticised Washington’s allies for relying on the US to pay for their defence.

“We are substantially subsidising the militaries of many very rich countries all over the world while at the same time these countries take total advantage of the US and our taxpayers on trade”, the president said in a tweet in December.