South Korea and the United States still have considerable disagreements over the size of Seoul's compensation to Washington for deploying US troops on the peninsula, despite having broadened their understanding of the issue, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th February, 2020) South Korea and the United States still have considerable disagreements over the size of Seoul's compensation to Washington for deploying US troops on the peninsula, despite having broadened their understanding of the issue, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said on Thursday.
Washington and Seoul are currently preparing for the seventh round of talks on the topic, set to take place in the South Korean capital later in the month.
"Though gaps are still big, the two countries have deepened mutual understanding much more, and we are in a situation where we have to make an agreement based on that understanding," Kang told reporters, as quoted by Yonhap news agency.
Since 1991, South Korea has been compensating the US part of its costs for stationing troops in South Korea per the Special Measures Agreement. US President Donald Trump has accused Seoul of not contributing enough on multiple occasions.
On December 31, 2019, the Special Measures Agreement expired due to the inability of both sides to reach a compromise.
