[Yonhap Photo]
South Korea's defense ministry ruled out any extra payment to finance the operation of an advanced US missile shield after US President Donald Trump reportedly said he wants Seoul to pay one billion US dollars.
The ministry said in a statement that the United States should shoulder the burden for operating and maintaining the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea under a bilateral accord on the status of some 28,000 US troops stationed in South Korea.
"There is no change in our basic position" that South Korea provides land and infrastructure while the United States is responsible for the deployment and operation of a THAAD battery under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). The battery was to be installed on a hillside golf course provided by the defense ministry.
Since US troops were stationed on the Korean peninsula after fighting alongside South Korean soldiers to repel a North Korean invasion during the 1950-53 Korean conflict, Seoul has shared the cost for their presence. It's not clear how much South Korea spends annually, but Trump has urged Seoul to increase its share.
The US missile shield has been a controversial issue because its installation was endorsed by ex-president Park Geun-hye who was impeached and jailed for her involvement in a corruption scandal.
Moon Jae-in, who is favored in opinion polls to become South Korea's next president in the May 9 election, insists the next government should handle it. He has promised to use it as a diplomatic card in negotiations with China and the United States.
Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
