The United States and South Korea have tentatively agreed to a new cost-sharing plan, under which Seoul would spend more to host American troops.
The new Special Measures Agreement (SMA), the 12th of its kind since 1991, will increase South Korea’s contribution to the U.S. forces stationed on the peninsula by 8.3 percent, with additional increases every year tied to the country’s consumer price index rather than its defense budget, according to a summary released Oct. 4 by the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The bilateral agreement, set to take effect in 2026, will run through 2030, pending final approval from South Korea’s National Assembly, which is currently controlled by the opposition party to President Yoon Suk-Yeol. The deal does not need approval from the U.S. Congress….