The U.S. and South Korea have agreed in principle to share the cost of the presence of American forces in South Korea, which is intended as a deterrence against the threat of North Korean aggression, CNN and Associated Press reported on Monday, citing a U.S. State department official.
The new agreement, which would last through 2025, would provide for a substantial increase in the South Korean contribution, the state department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs said Sunday.
On Monday, South Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a similar statement, saying the two sides are seeking to tentatively sign the accord. The foreign ministry said the agreement was made after three days of face-to-face talks in Washington.
News of the accord comes as U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken prepares to make his first foreign trip as the top American official to South Korea and Japan next week.
The Wall Street Journal reported last month that the U.S. and South Korea were nearing an accord that would eliminate a major obstacle in diplomatic ties between Washington and its Asian ally.
The U.S. keeps around 28,000 troops in South Korea to help deter potential hostile acts by North Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War.
The final accord could also include increases in South Korea's defense spending, as well as an understanding that Seoul will make certain military equipment acquisition, sources said.
The agreement between the U.S. and South Korea comes as Washington reached a parallel accord on burden sharing with Japan last month.
"This development reflects the Biden-Harris administration's commitment to reinvigorating and modernizing our democratic alliances around the word to advance our shared security and prosperity" CNN quoted a State department official as saying.
