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Trump Says South Korea to Pay 'Substantially More' for US Troops

William Gallo

   SEOUL - U.S. President Donald Trump says South Korea has agreed to
   "substantially" increase its share of the cost of the U.S. troop
   presence in South Korea.

   "South Korea has agreed to pay substantially more money to the United
   States in order to defend itself from North Korea," Trump said in a
   tweet Wednesday.

   Trump did not clarify how much more South Korea agreed to pay, but said
   negotiations with Seoul over cost-sharing have begun.

   However, South Korea on Wednesday said talks on the issue have yet to
   begin.

   Trump said "Over the past many decades, the U.S. has been paid very
   little by South Korea, but last year, at the request of President
   Trump, South Korea paid $990,000,000."

   "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. The relationship between the two countries is a very good
   one!" Trump added.

   The U.S. has 28,500 troops in South Korea, a remnant of the 1950s era
   Korean War. The Pentagon says the troops are meant to deter North
   Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

   Trump's announcement comes a day ahead of U.S. Secretary of Defense
   Mark Esper's visit to Seoul. Local media had reported Esper was
   expected to raise the cost-sharing issue.

   After months of sometimes-contentious negotiations, South Korea agreed
   in February to pay $925 million to support the U.S. military presence
   next year.

   That represents an 8 percent increase from the previous year -- but
   much less than the 50 percent spike Trump had demanded.
   

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