On Friday, US Ambassador Harry Harris and South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha signed the new cost-sharing agreement for US troops deployed in South Korea. The signing came at a formal ceremony.



The agreement replaces one which had previously expired in December. In keeping with President Trump’s demands, the new version will see South Korea pay a substantially higher portion of the overall cost of the deployment.



Despite this being such a substantial ceremony, the deal isn’t actually finalized yet. The South Korean parliament still has to vote on the deal. This is expected to be done soon, though exact timelines are unclear.



Historically, South Korea has paid a much larger portion of the cost of the US presence than most other host countries. President Trump has been pushing for substantial increases above the current levels, and even wants premiums above and beyond 100% of the costs.





Author: Jason Ditz Jason Ditz is news editor of Antiwar.com. View all posts by Jason Ditz