U.S. gov't weighs troop cuts in S. Korea: Wall Street Journal
- 4 years ago
WSJ "美 국방부, 백악관에 주한미군 감축 옵션 제시"
While the military cost sharing talks are still ongoing between Seoul and Washington,... the Pentagon has reportedly proposed plans to the White House to cut the number of troops in Korea.
Jang Tae-hyun reports.
The Pentagon has given options to the White House regarding potential cuts to U.S. military in South Korea.
According to the Wall Street Journal on Friday, the Trump administration is weighing a reduction in the number of U.S. troops in South Korea.
There are 28-thousand and 500 troops stationed in the country.
The discussion is due to friction over the hosting costs of U.S. military in the South.
Seoul agreed to pay nine-hundred-26 million U.S. dollars in 2019, but the following year, the U.S. demanded a fivefold increase in payment.
The negotiations are still ongoing.
However, Trump administration officials said that no decision has been made about cutting troops.
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Friday that in a few months, they will start going over relocation issues of their military in areas like the Indo-Pacific.
This comes after a similar case in Germany, where controversy also arose regarding military costs.
Trump ordered the removal of 95-hundred U.S. troops stationed in Germany last month.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Adam Smith said that U.S. military in South Korea is needed to prevent the North from taking military action.
The Voice of America reported that during a video conference on Friday, he said that collaboration between the U.S. and South Korean military stopped war from happening.
And, the chairman wants to maintain this relationship.
Smith said (quote) the "Trump administration has been very aggressive, trying to push South Korea to pay even more."
He added that Washington is not doing a favor for Seoul, but is investing in world peace and security.
Jang Tae-hyun, Arirang News.
While the military cost sharing talks are still ongoing between Seoul and Washington,... the Pentagon has reportedly proposed plans to the White House to cut the number of troops in Korea.
Jang Tae-hyun reports.
The Pentagon has given options to the White House regarding potential cuts to U.S. military in South Korea.
According to the Wall Street Journal on Friday, the Trump administration is weighing a reduction in the number of U.S. troops in South Korea.
There are 28-thousand and 500 troops stationed in the country.
The discussion is due to friction over the hosting costs of U.S. military in the South.
Seoul agreed to pay nine-hundred-26 million U.S. dollars in 2019, but the following year, the U.S. demanded a fivefold increase in payment.
The negotiations are still ongoing.
However, Trump administration officials said that no decision has been made about cutting troops.
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Friday that in a few months, they will start going over relocation issues of their military in areas like the Indo-Pacific.
This comes after a similar case in Germany, where controversy also arose regarding military costs.
Trump ordered the removal of 95-hundred U.S. troops stationed in Germany last month.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Adam Smith said that U.S. military in South Korea is needed to prevent the North from taking military action.
The Voice of America reported that during a video conference on Friday, he said that collaboration between the U.S. and South Korean military stopped war from happening.
And, the chairman wants to maintain this relationship.
Smith said (quote) the "Trump administration has been very aggressive, trying to push South Korea to pay even more."
He added that Washington is not doing a favor for Seoul, but is investing in world peace and security.
Jang Tae-hyun, Arirang News.