Washington and Seoul discussing new deal on cost sharing for US troops in South Korea ahead of a potential Trump election victory

Washington and Seoul may strike a cost-sharing agreement for US forces based in South Korea before the end of the year – even though the current agreement does not expire until the end of 2025 – as both sides feel a sense of urgency to get a new deal solidified before the possibility of a second Trump administration, according to two US officials and two former US officials familiar with the discussions.

Washington and Seoul may strike a cost-sharing agreement for US forces based in South Korea before the end of the year — even though the current agreement does not expire until the end of 2025 — as both sides feel a sense of urgency to get a new deal solidified before the possibility of a second Trump administration, according to two US officials and two former US officials familiar with the discussions. The negotiations over the Special Measures Agreement, known as the SMA, strained the US-South Korea alliance during the Trump administration. Former President Donald Trump demanded Seoul pay up to 400% more for the presence of the 28,500 US troops in the country during negotiations over the current agreement. Advocates argue that a significant US troop presence in the Korean Peninsula is crucial to strengthening the alliance between the two countries. The troops are important to both countries as a means to deter any potential attack from North Korea as Kim Jong Un’s regime continues to build its nuclear arsenal and as a way of bolstering the US presence in the region to counter China’s aggression. There is more urgency to get the deal done before the end of the year on the Korean side, given the tumult of the previous round of negotiations, officials said. US officials are engaging with South Korean officials on the topic, but some officials fear that getting an agreement done now could trigger criticism from Trump, and they do not want the alliance to be in the former president’s line of fire if he wins the election in November. Under the current agreement, South Korea pays about $1 billion annually, representing an increase of about 13.9% over previous SMAs. Multiple rounds of talks to renew the agreement have taken place, with the seventh round concluding at the end of August. A State Department official declined to discuss the specifics of the ongoing negotiations but said that the US seeks a “a fair and equitable outcome” that will “support the readiness of US forces in Korea and strengthen and sustain the US-ROK alliance.”