South Korea will pay more for stationing American military personnel in the country under an agreement announced Friday, News.Az reports citing foreign media.The South Korean contribution will reach nearly 1.52 trillion won ($1.12 billion) in 2026, up 8.3% from 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a news release.
The current agreement has just over a year left. Both sides have negotiated at the working level since late April at an accelerated pace.
The deal-making appears to been done with former U.S. President Donald Trump in mind. Trump had unsuccessfully demanded that South Korea quintuple its contribution, complicating the previous talks.
With Trump now the Republican Party’s presidential candidate once more, South Korea faced the prospect of negotiations turning rocky again if he wins election. This likely factored into Seoul’s urgency on the updated cost-sharing agreement.
The new deal has South Korea bearing a portion of necessary expenses for U.S. forces here. These include costs relating to personnel, construction and military support.
Under the current agreement, South Korea’s contributions jumped 13.9% in 2021, the first year. But 2026, the new agreement’s first year, will entail a more modest increase. For 2027 to 2030, annual increases will reflect growth in the consumer price index.
