The second round of negotiations for the new Special Measures Agreement (SMA) to determine Korea’s share of the costs of the U.S. Forces Korea’s presence will be held in Seoul from the 21st to the 23rd of this month. The meeting schedule for the 12th Korea-U.S. Special Measures Agreement, which will be applied from 2026, has been decided, according to officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 16th.
The U.S. Embassy in Korea also stated that the upcoming negotiations will be an opportunity to emphasize the continued dynamism of the Korea-U.S. alliance, not only in Northeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region but also beyond. They emphasized that the majority of the costs incurred by Korea are spent domestically, which is interpreted as a basis for seeking an increase.
In the negotiations, Korea is responsible for three categories of costs related to the U.S. Forces Korea presence: labor costs for Korean employees, military construction fees (construction of facilities within U.S. military bases), and logistical support costs (services and material provision). This year’s contribution amounts to over 1.346 trillion won.
During the second round of negotiations, it is expected that both sides will begin substantive discussions on the amount of contributions, duration, negotiation time, and other related issues. Despite having a consensus on the early conclusion of the negotiations, there are concerns about the time constraints in finalizing the negotiations by the end of this year.