Swordsmyth
08-12-2019, 03:57 PM
In a move likely to have implications for Japan, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Wednesday that discussions have begun with South Korea to get the Asian ally to pay more for the cost of maintaining U.S. troops there.
“South Korea has agreed to pay substantially more money to the United States in order to defend itself from North Korea,” Trump wrote in a Twitter post, saying that Seoul had paid the U.S. “very little” over the “past many decades.”
“Talks have begun to further increase payments to the United States,” he wrote. “South Korea is a very wealthy nation that now feels an obligation to contribute to the military defense provided by the United States of America.”
Trump said later that he expects more money from South Korea.
“They’ve agreed to pay a lot more, and they will agree to pay a lot more than that,” he said.
The mercurial U.S. leader has repeatedly criticized Seoul and Tokyo, the top American security allies in Asia, for not sharing enough of the financial burden of basing U.S. forces in the two countries. The U.S. has some 28,500 troops in South Korea and approximately 50,000 in Japan.
South Korean and U.S. officials inked a one-year interim agreement in February, under which Seoul boosted its contribution from $830 million to $924 million. That deal was due to expire in a year.
The Trump administration is seeking up to a fivefold increase in what Japan pays to support U.S. military forces based here, the Asahi Shimbun daily reported on July 31, citing an unnamed U.S. government source.
Trump’s apparent antipathy toward the U.S.-Japan alliance made headlines in late June, ahead of the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, when he bashed the allies’ security treaty, noting that under the military pact, which he has lambasted as unfair, Japan wouldn’t have to help the U.S. if it were attacked, though Washington would be required to come to Tokyo’s aid.
“If Japan is attacked, we will fight World War III,” he said. “We will go in and protect them with our lives and with our treasure. But if we’re attacked, Japan doesn’t have to help us. They can watch it on a Sony television.”
More at: https://warisboring.com/trump-wants-south-korea-to-pay-more-to-keep-u-s-troops-there/
If they pay more we get some budget relief, if they refuse we pack up and come home. WIN/WIN :D
“South Korea has agreed to pay substantially more money to the United States in order to defend itself from North Korea,” Trump wrote in a Twitter post, saying that Seoul had paid the U.S. “very little” over the “past many decades.”
“Talks have begun to further increase payments to the United States,” he wrote. “South Korea is a very wealthy nation that now feels an obligation to contribute to the military defense provided by the United States of America.”
Trump said later that he expects more money from South Korea.
“They’ve agreed to pay a lot more, and they will agree to pay a lot more than that,” he said.
The mercurial U.S. leader has repeatedly criticized Seoul and Tokyo, the top American security allies in Asia, for not sharing enough of the financial burden of basing U.S. forces in the two countries. The U.S. has some 28,500 troops in South Korea and approximately 50,000 in Japan.
South Korean and U.S. officials inked a one-year interim agreement in February, under which Seoul boosted its contribution from $830 million to $924 million. That deal was due to expire in a year.
The Trump administration is seeking up to a fivefold increase in what Japan pays to support U.S. military forces based here, the Asahi Shimbun daily reported on July 31, citing an unnamed U.S. government source.
Trump’s apparent antipathy toward the U.S.-Japan alliance made headlines in late June, ahead of the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, when he bashed the allies’ security treaty, noting that under the military pact, which he has lambasted as unfair, Japan wouldn’t have to help the U.S. if it were attacked, though Washington would be required to come to Tokyo’s aid.
“If Japan is attacked, we will fight World War III,” he said. “We will go in and protect them with our lives and with our treasure. But if we’re attacked, Japan doesn’t have to help us. They can watch it on a Sony television.”
More at: https://warisboring.com/trump-wants-south-korea-to-pay-more-to-keep-u-s-troops-there/
If they pay more we get some budget relief, if they refuse we pack up and come home. WIN/WIN :D