U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper says South Korea is wealthy enough to pay a bigger share of the cost of having U.S. troops on its soil.
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper attends a joint press conference with South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, after the 51st Security Consultative Meeting at the Defense Ministry in Seoul Friday, Nov. 15, 2019. U.S. Defense Secretary Esper says South Korea is wealthy enough to pay a bigger share of the cost of having U.S. troops on its soil.
“This is a very strong alliance we have, but Korea is a wealthy country and could and should pay more to help offset the cost of defense,” Esper told a joint news conference with his South Korean counterpart, Jeong Kyeong-doo. The amount Korea pays for the presence of about 28,000 U.S. troops has varied over the years. This year it is nearly $1 billion.
In remarks to reporters Wednesday as he was flying to Seoul, Esper declined to cite a figure but said the administration has asked for a “substantial increase” in South Korea’s contributions.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Pentagon's Esper says crucial South Korea pay more for U.S. troopsU.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper pressed South Korea on Friday to pay more f...
Read more »
North Korea issues warning over US-South Korea drillsNorth Korea’s supreme decision-making body lashed out Wednesday at planned U.S.-South Korean military drills and warned that the United States will face a “bigger threat and harsh suffering” if it ignores North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s end-of-year deadline to salvage nuclear talks. In a statement
Read more »
South Korea, U.S. defense chiefs reaffirm commitment to defend against North KoreaThe defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States reaffirmed on Friday U.S...
Read more »
North Korea warns of retaliation against U.S-South Korea military drillsNorth Korea threatened on Wednesday to retaliate if the United States goes ahead...
Read more »
U.S. vows to defend South Korea with full military force following Pyongyang threatsNorth Korea has lodged multiple protests over planned joint U.S.-South Korean war games, and said Wednesday it would respond to force in kind.
Read more »