US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun and South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jung-kun discussed the Special Measures Agreement during their Thursday meeting in Washington, DC, State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a readout
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th September, 2020) US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun and South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jung-kun discussed the Special Measures Agreement during their Thursday meeting in Washington, DC, State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a readout.
"The Deputy Secretary and Vice Minister discussed the Special Measures Agreement, reaffirmed the enduring strength of the US-ROK [South Korea] alliance, and discussed ways to enhance the alliance to ensure it remains a force for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific for the decades ahead," Ortagus said on Friday.
Biegun vowed the United States will continue the close cooperation with South Korea regarding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, regional security and responding to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Since 1991, Seoul has shouldered part of the costs for the US troops stationed in South Korea as per the Special Measures Agreement. The most recent agreement expired on December 31, but the two countries are still trying to negotiate a new deal given that US President Donald Trump has on multiple occasions demanded for Seoul to pay a greater share.
