Belated Settlement of Shared Defense Costs Is an Opportunity To Strengthen US-South Korea Alliance

Negotiations for shared defense costs between South Korea and the United States, which have been pending for more than 1 1/2 years, are finally being settled. Though neither country’s government has made any details of the agreement public, it seems they have reached a middle ground to the satisfaction of both sides, considering the fact that the parties reached a settlement within the first 46 days of Joe Biden’s administration. Last March, representatives at the negotiations between South Korea and the United States were nearly reached an agreement on a five-year contract with an annual cost increase of 13% compared with the previous year. However, due to former businessman-turned-president Donald Trump’s unreasonable demands to increase the previous year’s amount fivefold and his unwillingness to compromise, the issue has not been settled until now. Beginning with his presidential campaign, Biden said he would promote “alliance restoration” above all else when he took office, criticizing Trump’s money-first approach.

Although it’s a little too late, the fact that both sides were able to reach an agreement in negotiations gives us a sense of hope that the alliance will continue on a steady path going forward. On the other hand, people are also predicting the United States will later demand that South Korea participate in pressuring China in return for lowering the contribution demanded by the Trump administration. Connecting defense cost negotiations to other issues is quite undesirable. We must heed the lesson taught by defense cost negotiations during the Trump administration and not repeat the process which led to wavering negotiations. The type of thinking that reduces an alliance to financial gains and financial losses is one that may seriously damage the value of the alliance.

The U.S.-South Korea alliance, which originated as a military alliance during the Korean War, was expanded into an economic alliance with the signing of agreements such as the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement. Nevertheless, for the United States government to press South Korea over a monetary amount would be to mistake the means for the end. Of course, it is right for diplomats to carefully consider their own national interests during negotiations, as they are administering taxpayer money. However, they shouldn’t manage this process to the extent that it degrades the fundamental value of the alliance. It is not normal to engage in a tug-of-war over how much the share of expenses should be and miss negotiation deadlines by 1 1/2 years with an ally that one has agreed to support in case of an emergency. If U.S.-South Korea relations devolve into this kind of halfhearted alliance, it will be one that no other countries respect or fear.