Trump hikes price tag for US forces in Korea almost 500% as Seoul questions alliance
Trump hikes price tag for US forces in Korea almost 500% as Seoul questions alliance
Trump hikes price tag for US forces in Korea almost 500% as Seoul questions alliance
By Nicole Gaouette, CNN
Updated at 6:06 PM ET, Thu November 14, 2019
Washington (CNN) — Secretary of Defense Mark Esper landed in South Korea on Thursday to navigate renewed threats from an "enraged" North Korea and newly heightened strain in the alliance with Seoul that congressional aides, lawmakers and Korea experts say has been caused by President Donald Trump.
Trump is demanding that South Korea pay roughly 500% more in 2020 to cover the cost of keeping US troops on the peninsula, a congressional aide and an administration official confirmed to CNN.
The price hike has frustrated Pentagon officials and deeply concerned Republican and Democratic lawmakers, according to military officials and congressional aides. It has angered and unnerved Seoul, where leaders are questioning US commitment to their alliance and wondering whether Trump will pull US forces if they don't pay up.
"Nothing says I love you like a shakedown," said Vipin Narang, an associate professor at MIT who follows the Korean peninsula, summarizing South Korean uncertainty their worries about the US.
https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/11/14/politics/trump-south-korea-troops-price-hike/index.html?r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F
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