S.Korea, US to negotiate on defense cost sharing
22/9/2008 16:37
South Korea and the United States will hold a new round of negotiation on
the defense cost sharing of US troops in South Korea on Wednesday and Thursday
in Washington, South Korean Foreign Ministry said today.
It will be the third
time that the two sides hold such talks in 2008.
The two sides reviewed each
other's position in the two previous rounds, a South Korean foreign ministry
official told local media.
"Full-fledged negotiations are expected from now
on," he added.
According to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, Washington has
called for Seoul to increase its share to 50 percent from the current 42
percent. South Korea paid 725.5 billion won (US$720 million) to Washington in
2007 and is supposed to pay the same amount this year with an adjustment for
inflation under the Special Measures Agreement (SMA).
In a bid to head off a
controversy over what constitutes an appropriate contribution, South Korea is
also seeking to provide the US military with funds and materials on a
case-by-case basis rather than paying a lump sum of cash.
About 28,500 US
troops are stationed in South Korea.
Xinhua
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