Trump says S. Korea would pay $10b per year for USFK stationing if he was in office

Former US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that South Korea would be paying $10 billion a year for the stationing of the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea if he was in the White House, as he described the Asian ally as a “money machine.”

The Republican presidential candidate made the remarks as Seoul and Washington recently concluded their negotiations over a defense cost-sharing deal, called the Special Measures Agreement, which will last through 2030.

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“If I were there now, they’d be paying us $10 billion a year. And you know what? They’d be happy to do it,” he said during an interview with the Economic Club of Chicago and Bloomberg News in Chicago. “It’s a money machine. South Korea.”

Trump also touched on the tough negotiation process with South Korea when he was in office, confirming he demanded South Korea pay $5 billion a year at the time.

“We have 40,000 troops in harm’s way, very serious, because you have North Korea’s very serious power. They have tremendous nuclear power,” he said, referring to 28,500 US personnel. “I said to South Korea, ‘You’re going to pay,’ and they agreed to do it, and Biden then cut it back. And it’s a shame.”

Earlier this month, South Korea and the US reached the 12th Special Measures Agreement to determine Seoul’s share of the cost for the upkeep of US Forces. Under the deal, Seoul is to pay 1.52 trillion won ($1.14 billion) in 2026, up from 1.4 trillion won in 2025. The deal links an annual increase in Seoul’s contributions to the Consumer Price Index.

Seoul and Washington launched their negotiations in April — earlier than usual — amid concerns that Trump could drive a hard bargain over burden sharing in a way that could cause tensions in the bilateral alliance amid growing North Korean military threats.

Despite the conclusion of the negotiations, concerns have surfaced that should Trump be elected in November, he could demand renegotiation of the deal.

Since 1991, Seoul has partially shouldered costs under the Special Measures Agreement for Korean US workers, the construction of military facilities and other logistical support. (Yonhap)