[Editorial] Defense cost-sharing

Former US President Donald Trump is notorious for distorting and exaggerating facts to seek political gain. By doing so, especially ahead of the US presidential election on Nov. 5, he often inflicts collateral damage on innocent people. A striking example of this pattern is the allegation he has made about defense cost-sharing with South Korea.

On Tuesday, Trump said that South Korea would pay $10 billion a year -- about 9 times what Seoul currently pays -- for the stationing of US Forces Korea if he wins the presidential race. And he referred to South Korea as a "money machine," which sparked a torrent of criticism from the Korean public and sent media outlets scrambling to interpret what he meant.

Trump's underlying logic is that the US is paying too much for costs linked to the USFK, so the Korean government should pay far more than it does now, and Korea, in the eyes of Trump, is a "money machine" that can afford to pay.

Some media here took Trump’s words to mean he thinks Korea is a “rich country,” while others suggested the Republican presidential candidate thinks of Korea as a kind of ATM from which he can withdraw money freely.

Either way, his message has not been well received in Korea, and there are several reasons. First, Trump is apparently attempting to drive a wedge between Korea and the US by negatively depicting existing cost-sharing relations.

Over the past decades, the two nations have worked together in various fields including defense surrounding the Korean Peninsula under the "iron-clad" alliance, and since 1991, Seoul has shared the costs of Korean national USFK workers, military facility construction and other support under the Special Measures Agreement.

This year, Seoul and Washington started negotiations in April and concluded them this month as a result of bilateral effects to produce what Seoul’s Foreign Ministry called “a reasonable outcome.”

Under the latest SMA that will run through 2030, Seoul is set to pay 1.52 trillion won ($1.14 billion) in 2026, marking an increase from the 1.4 trillion won it will pay this year.

Trump’s insinuation that Seoul is trying to avoid shouldering its fair share of the costs is, therefore, characteristic of his trademark low-level mix of business wheeling and dealing and threats to maximize his political points in order to appeal to his base in the US.

Second, Trump does not bother to check the facts, a chronic bad habit that could result in disastrous outcomes in international trade and defense deals with other countries in the event that he wins reelection.

On Wednesday, Trump said during a Fox News town hall event in Georgia, “South Korea ... We have 42,000 soldiers there. They don't pay.” The first false claim that should be corrected is that the US has in reality stationed 28,500 USFK service members in Korea, and the second fact that has not reached Trump’s mind yet is that Korea continues to pay for the defense cost under the bilateral SMA negotiations.

Trump also said the US “cannot be taken advantage of any longer in trade and in the military,” suggesting that he would go ahead with the renegotiation of defense cost-sharing with Seoul if he is reelected.

Experts in Seoul speculate that Trump is likely to use the same tactics he used when he was in office 2017-2021, namely, threatening to reduce or withdraw the USFK, which angered many in Korea.

Trump falsely claims that Korea is “free-riding” on the US defense cost, but the fact is that Korea and the US are now sharing the USFK cost in a fair manner. Furthermore, Korea’s defense budget is 2.5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, which is above the 2 percent yardstick of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

If Trump wins the US presidential race, he is feared to pose risks on many fronts including regarding defense cost-sharing and free trade agreements. Seoul should brace for more fact-distorting threats from Trump until the election and prepare for the worst-case scenario.