Defense cost-sharing talks held between S. Korea and the U.S.
A senior U.S. official says defense-cost sharing negotiations between Seoul and Washington are ongoing to ensure a fair and mutually beneficial deal for both sides.
R. Clarke Cooper, Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, said in a press briefing Thursday that the negotiations never ended and are still being conducted virtually.
Recent South Korean news reports suggested that the two countries had tentatively reached an agreement on the sharing of costs for the stationing of 28,500 American troops on the Korean Peninsula.
Cooper stressed, "What we need to remember is that where we're at is while there was focus on early April, the talks are conditions-based," adding that the intent is to ensure the alliance is solidified and the Special Measures Agreement is equitable.
U.S. Forces Korea, on Wednesday, furloughed thousands of South Korean workers on unpaid leave due to the absence of a new SMA.
Seoul and Washington have conducted seven rounds of negotiations since September in an effort to renew their deal, which expired at the end of last year.■
<Image: Yonhap News>
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