U.S. and South Korea discuss troop costs amid regional tensions

Anadolu Agency

As pressure mounts over military spending and shifting defence priorities, top U.S. and South Korean generals have met in Seoul to reaffirm their alliance and address growing tensions surrounding cost-sharing and regional security.

The military chiefs of South Korea and the United States met in Seoul on Thursday amid tensions over defence cost-sharing related to the deployment of American troops, according to Yonhap News Agency.

South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo held talks with U.S. Gen. Dan Caine to discuss the alliance and regional stability. Their meeting precedes a trilateral dialogue in Seoul with Japan’s Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida.

Kim and Yoshida also met separately to address military cooperation and recent activities by North Korea’s forces.

Currently, 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea, and over 50,000 in Japan under separate agreements. The Trump administration has renewed pressure on Seoul to increase its financial contribution to U.S. troop deployments.

South Korea maintains it will follow the 12th Special Measures Agreement, pledging 1.52 trillion won ($1.11 billion) in 2026 — up from 1.4 trillion won this year.

President Trump said Tuesday that Seoul pays “very little” and should bear greater responsibility for its defence.

A report by U.S. think tank Defense Priorities recently recommended reducing the U.S. troop presence in South Korea to around 10,000, citing limitations on Washington’s strategic flexibility.

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