Upcoming US - Korea summit and military alliance cost sharing

(Source- JTBC News 9.14)

So the current 2019 cost sharing contribution for US Forces Korea is US $881,178,161.00 at current exhange rates. This figure doesn't include the 9 billion dollars the Republic of Korea recently spent on expansion, modernization, and construction of new facilities at Camp Humphreys, in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, to facilitate the transfer of US Forces Korea and many of its military commands and units to what is now the largest US military base outside the United States. Additionally, not considered are the cost to South Korea of the transfer of some 26 former US military bases back to the host nation including untold billions in cleanup expenses for environmental damages, and personal injury claims based upon pollution and damage to surrounding communities and individuals. The US has been stonewalling cleanup costs in an attempt to foist them on South Korea with zero accountability. On a per capita basis the Republic of Korea spends more on its defense than other US allies. Yet, President Trump, in his coercive, transactional, and undiplomatic style, repeatedly publicly raises this issue, in a hyperbolic and unfair manner, and has in fact, demanded a five hundred percent increase in the South Korea contribution to the alliance's military costs. This is not helpful to the alliance and represents poor public relations with the people of South Korea.

JTBC reports that pending issues for the summit will naturally include military cost sharing, South Korean withdrawal from GSOMIA (military intelligence sharing) and other contentious issues with Japan, and, of course, denuclearization issues with North Korea. These present the prospect of a difficult summit ( 고난도 담화 ) between President Moon Jae In and President Trump, when the former arrives for a three day visit in the US September 22, for the upcoming UN General Assembly.

Unfortunately, the concurrent poor treatment of South Korea by the far right leaders, Abe and Trump, has the appearance of great power manipulation of the democratic government on the basis of pure power politics reminiscent of late 19th and early 20th Century imperialism which destroyed Korean sovereignty. South Korea is still struggling against unjust political legacies imposed by the US and Japan that the latter allies disingenuously evade. It is extremely unlikely that President Moon will acquiesce to their pressures to give up South Korea's recently asserted sovereignty or submit to "make Japan great again," initiatives or other Japanese revisionist moves, tacitly supported by the US. He will however, while weathering the current storm, do his best to keep the US-Korea alliance as strong as possible, and encourage measures to facilitate new diplomatic talks between the US and North Korea.