South Korea and the U.S. are discussing sharing defense costs of American troops stationed on the Korean Peninsula.
They are trying to finalize a deal,... as the existing five-year accord from 2014 expires in a matter of weeks.
Kan Hyeong-woo tells us more.

South Korea and the United States are holding their tenth round of negotiations of the year... over the Special Measures Agreement - that is sharing defense costs for the stationing of some 28,500 American troops on the Korean Peninsula.

From Tuesday to Thursday, the allies will try to reach a deal which should take effect starting next year.
The current five-year deal signed in early 2014 will expire at the end of December.

One of the biggest bones of contention is how much each side will have to pay.
Under the existing deal, Seoul contributed around 850 million U.S. dollars in 2018 alone to have U.S. Forces Korea on its soil.

But last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that President Trump wants Seoul to pay as much as double the current amount.

After the 9th round of talks last month, Seoul's foreign ministry said the two sides made some progress in finalizing a deal, but they are still in the process of narrowing their differences in certain areas.

Another issue is Washington's demand that Seoul pay for a new category of expenses called "operational support," which is for American troops outside the Peninsula.
This "operational support" includes the deployment of aircraft carriers, long-range bombers and nuclear submarines.

But South Korea is standing firm that it will only contribute money to three areas, which are payroll, construction and logistics,… as it has in the past.

Led by Ambassador Chang Won-sam, the South Korean delegation will seek to strike a deal with the U.S. negotiation team led by Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Timothy Betts.
Kan Hyeong-woo, Arirang News.