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Washington wants Seoul to pay $4.7 billion for US forces stationed in South Korea

07 November 2019 10:38 (UTC +04:00)

The United States has demanded that South Korea pay $4.7 billion to cover the cost of US servicemen stationed there and maintaining armaments in the region, APA reports citing Sputnik.

The newspaper Chosun Ilbo has reported, citing State Department senior adviser for security negotiations James DeHart that the US claimed the $4.7 billion only partially covered the defence costs. He also reportedly said US President Donald Trump wanted Seoul to contribute more to the defence provided to it by Washington.

The newspaper noted there were concerns that Washington might withdraw its forces from South Korea if Seoul did not pay the defence cost.

Meanwhile, South Korea maintains that making such payments would require parliamentary ratification. Moreover, parliamentarians would not be able to monitor defence activities outside the country.