The U.S. and South Korea have reached agreement on a new accord that would resolve a yearslong dispute on how to share the cost of American troops based on the Korean Peninsula, officials from the two countries said Sunday.
The new accord, which would last through 2025, would provide for a “meaningful increase” in the South Korean contribution, said a State Department spokesperson, who didn’t provide details.
The breakthrough on Sunday came during face-to-face talks in Washington, which were led by State Department negotiator Donna Welton and Jeong Eun-bo, South Korea’s chief negotiator on the issue. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that the two sides were closing in on an agreement that would remove a major irritant in relations between Washington and its Asian ally.