President Trump is demanding that South Korea increase their funding for American troops deployed on the peninsula, according to The Wall Street Journal. The demand\u2026<\/b>
\nPresident Trump is demanding that South Korea increase their funding for American troops deployed on the peninsula, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The demand has reportedly soured negotiations over the\u00a0Special Measures Agreement (SMA), a defense pact between the two countries.
The SMA’s five-year-contract expires Dec. 31 and currently requires South Korea to pay $830 million per year to the U. S. for the more than 28,500 American troops based in the country.
The Journal reports that Trump is pushing for between $1.2 and $1.6 billion per year.
President\u00a0Moon Jae-in has been telling South Korean officials that he isn’t willing to pay more, according to the report, and\u00a0leaders of the top five political parties have reportedly said they can’t absorb an increase.
The friction with Seoul comes as the U. S. is\u00a0heavily pursuing\u00a0North Korean denuclearization. Talks between the U. S. and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have stalled lately as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Kim cancelled a meeting last month.
However, Moon and his northern counterpart are planning a summit and have already made significant moves toward warming relations.
Representatives from the White House and State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the negotiations.<\/p>\n