S. Korean lawmakers push for law to aid USFK workers

Lawmakers from rival political parties are pushing to enact a special law to support South Korean employees of United States Forces Korea, who were recently put on unpaid leave because Seoul and Washington failed to conclude a defense cost-sharing pact.

Submitted to the parliament Friday, the two separate but similar bills aim to establish a legal framework for the Korean government to intervene and pay the Korean workers.

USFK put half of its 9,000 Korean employees on unpaid leave April 1, citing the expiry of the bilateral accord that covers the upkeep of the 28,500 American troops stationed here. Negotiations for a new deal still show no signs of progress.

On Sunday, a local newspaper reported that the Korean government had informed the US side of its intentions to cover 70 percent of the labor costs for the workers on leave and to have that expense reflected in the agreement once it is finalized. It said Washington had not yet responded to the offer.

The Defense Ministry said Monday that the reported plan was only one of several options under consideration.

Rep. Ahn Gyu-back of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said Monday that the legislation would enable the Korean government to support the livelihoods of the affected workers, even without USFK’s consent.

“The US is holding our workers hostage here. This bill gets passed, and we could pay them on our own. The workers shouldn’t be victims of the drawn-out talks,” said Rep. Ahn, who introduced the bill. He chairs the National Defense Committee.

The other bill -- submitted to the parliament on the same matter by Rep. Kim Sung-won of the opposition United Future Party -- would also allow unilateral action by Seoul to benefit the USFK workers.

Seoul and Washington are still deadlocked on how to share the costs of maintaining the US military in Korea, largely due to differences over how much of the cost Korea should bear.

US President Donald Trump, who initially demanded $5 billion, earlier rejected an interim deal between Seoul and Washington where Korea agreed to pay 13 percent more than the $900 million it paid last year, saying that was not “equitable and fair.”

“Given the track record of cost-sharing negotiations in the past and the local inflation rate, 4 percent is the ceiling, but we offered a whopping 13 percent. What Trump is asking is overboard," Rep. Ahn said.

Considering committee reviews, floor discussions and voting sessions -- a process that can take months -- the bill proposed by Ahn and sponsored by nine other lawmakers is unlikely to pass during the current parliament, whose term ends May 29.

By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)