Trump's push for Seoul to pay more for U.S. troops throws alliance into question and...

[soryang]

Trump's push for Seoul to pay more for U.S. troops throws alliance into question and puts Tokyo on notice
BY JESSE JOHNSON
STAFF WRITER

Japan Times
link is dated Nov. 3

Paying mercenaries’

Seoul’s concern is that a failure to meet Trump’s demands could compromise the American troop presence, which has helped defend the country against the North Korean threat for more than six decades. Those fears were amplified when Trump recently showed no qualms about pulling troops from Syria, abandoning America’s Kurdish allies, who have been a key force in the fight against the Islamic State group.

U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris has attempted to assuage those concerns, telling South Korea’s Dong-a Ilbo daily last month that there is “no need to worry” because America’s defense commitments are treaty-bound.

Still, Harris also confirmed Seoul’s worst fears. For the first time, the ambassador said that Trump is indeed asking for a fivefold SMA increase. Harris told the daily that from Washington’s perspective, South Korea is shouldering just a fifth of the total defense costs, and that as the world’s 12th-largest economy it should take on a bigger burden.

But this kind of rhetoric, analysts say, sends the wrong message to America’s geopolitical foes.

Much more: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/11/03/asia-pacific/politics-diplomacy-asia-pacific/trump-south-korea-pay-troops-alliance-japan/#.XcLuOzNKhPZ

Excellent analysis of ongoing troubled SMA negotiations between US and South Korea. I'm not so sure about the implications for Japan, upon whom the US relies more heavily for the so called Asian pivot. Without Japan there is no Asian pivot. South Korea is much more vulnerable to overbearing US pressures. Is the US trying to affect the outcome of the April 15 South Korean National Assembly elections adversely against the democratic administration of Moon Jae-in? Polls show South Koreans in general don't want to pay more by a huge majority.

Link to tweet