Meng Expresses Concern with Trump Administration Negotiations Over Military Cost-Sharing Agreement with South Korea

November 19, 2019
Press Release

Congresswoman sends letter to Secretary of State and Defense Secretary, which follows similar letter Meng sent in February after the U.S.-ROK Special Measures Agreement lapsed

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper following reports that the Trump administration demanded a 500 percent increase from South Korea in negotiations of the Special Measures Agreement. This morning, news emerged that the U.S. broke off talks with South Korea over the agreement.
The Special Measures Agreement is a cost-sharing pact that authorizes U.S. troops to be based in South Korea and how much money Seoul contributes.
Earlier this year, the United States and South Korea signed a one-year agreement that increased Seoul's financial obligation by 8.2 percent. Last week, Esper pressed the South Koreans to pay more. In total, the Trump administration is demanding South Korea pay $4.7 billion which is more than five times what it currently owes.
"The Trump administration is a clear and present danger to our national security and undermines our allies' trust and friendship," said Meng. "As each day passes, we witness additional cases of alliance mismanagement that allows foreign adversaries to drive a wedge in our relationships. Demanding South Korea increase their pay by 500 percent is yet another example of extorting our friends. I can't say enough about how damaging this behavior is for U.S. national security and global leadership. Simply put, brinkmanship is neither a smart nor responsible strategy. Secretaries Pompeo and Esper must rethink the strategy, and come back to the negotiating table with a proposal that recognizes the inherent value of the long-standing U.S.-ROK alliance."
A copy of Meng's letter can be viewed here.
A copy of Meng's correspondence from February can be found here.