Military Times – About 28,000 US Troops Are Stationed in South Korea. Only 28 Got COVID-19

March 12, 2021 ROK-U.S. News

Military.com | By Gina Harkins

The hardest part about keeping coronavirus cases down among American troops based in South Korea had nothing to do with interacting with locals. Instead, it was dealing with troops coming in from the U.S., the top commander of forces there told Congress this week.

More than 166,000 U.S. troops have tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, since the start of the global pandemic. Few of them are believed to have caught the virus in South Korea, which has maintained low infection rates compared to the U.S.

“Of the 58,000 people who touch U.S. Forces Korea bases daily, we’ve seen a total of 110 local affiliated cases — and only about 28 service members tested positive,” Army Gen. Robert Abrams told members of the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday.

“Our biggest challenge,” Abrams added, “has been from inbounds or returnees coming from the continental United States, where we’ve had approximately 700 positive cases.”

South Korea has been lauded for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The country’s population is equivalent to that of Texas and Florida combined. More than 77,000 Americans have died of COVID-19 in Florida and Texas since the start of the pandemic.

About 1,648 people have died of COVID-19 in South Korea.

“We have greatly benefited from our robust partnership with the Republic of Korea government and the Korean disease control and prevention agency, who have supported our efforts,” Abrams said. “As a result, our rate of infection has remained extremely low.”

As the U.S. struggled with its coronavirus tests, testing in South Korea was widely available nationwide. The country has also used drones to disinfect public spaces, and its citizens embraced mask-wearing due to experiences with past viral outbreaks, including a respiratory syndrome that hit there in 2015.

U.S. Forces Korea was able to relax travel restrictions early in the pandemic due to a low number of cases there.

U.S. and South Korean troops are currently participating in a nine-day command-post exercise. Leaders opted to limit the number of troops involved and cut outdoor maneuvers, the Yonhap news agency reported, due to continued concerns about the pandemic.

Abrams told lawmakers that the force is working to ensure troops, families and military retirees in Korea have access to the COVID-19 vaccine. They’re slated to receive 9,700 doses of the newly approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine, he said, “which will go a long way toward being able to give the immunizations.”

Two dozen U.S. troops have died of COVID-19. More than 1,400 of them have been hospitalized with the virus.

— Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins.

Article: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/03/11/about-28000-us-troops-are-stationed-south-korea-only-28-got-covid-19.html?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EBB%2003.12.21&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief

Stars & Stripes – US Forces Korea begins administering thousands of doses of J&J’s one-shot COVID-19 vaccine

March 12, 2021 ROK-U.S. News

By JOSEPH DITZLER | STARS AND STRIPESPublished: March 11, 2021

The U.S. military in South Korea said it received 9,700 doses of Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday and started to administer it immediately.

Twenty percent of the 58,000 people in the U.S. Forces Korea community were already inoculated when the new doses, also called the Janssen vaccine, arrived, command spokesman Col. Lee Peters said Thursday on American Forces Network Radio.

On Friday, inoculations will come to the next group of individuals in the Defense Department priority list at Camp Humphreys: DOD faculty and staff, Army and Air Force Exchange Service and commissary workers, bus drivers and other customer-facing employees, Peters said. Vaccines should come to Osan Air Base on Friday and Daegu Garrison next week.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, approved for emergency use Feb. 27 by the Food and Drug Administration, is a game-changer in the fight against COVID-19, the coronavirus respiratory disease, according to Peters and USFK command surgeon Col. Douglas Lougee.

“I’m excited to talk about vaccines anytime,” Lougee said on the program. “This is the time to hit back at this virus that’s destroyed our lives this past year.”

He said the vaccine is safe and effective and encouraged everyone to get inoculated, although pregnant women should first consult with their doctors.

Lougee said the Johnson & Johnson shot provides its full protection 28 days after inoculation. Afterward, he said, “your chance of getting COVID is less than getting hit by lightning.”

USFK on Thursday reported that nine new cases of COVID-19, all among new arrivals to the peninsula, were discovered between Feb. 22 and Monday.

Four service members arrived Feb. 22 and 24 and Monday at Osan Air Base aboard the Patriot Express, a government-contracted passenger service. Another four service members and a contractor arrived Feb. 23, March 4 and 5 at Incheon International Airport.

Six tested positive upon arrival and before entering quarantine; three came up positive on the test required to exit the mandatory 14-day quarantine, according to USFK.

In Japan, Tokyo reported 335 newly infected people Thursday, according to public broadcaster NHK. The average number of people becoming infected each day over the past week is up to 273.1 and trending higher, according to metro government data. Tokyo has reported 114,536 coronavirus cases during the pandemic.

U.S. military bases in Japan reported two new coronavirus cases Thursday.

At Naval Air Facility Atsugi, southeast of Tokyo, one person tested positive prior to exiting the restricted movement period required of new arrivals to Japan and returning travelers, base spokesman Sam Samuelson told Stars and Stripes by phone.

The Marine Corps had one person at Camp Foster on Okinawa test positive Wednesday, according to a base Facebook post.

ditzler.joseph@stripes.com
Twitter: @JosephDitzler

Article: https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/us-forces-korea-begins-administering-thousands-of-doses-of-j-j-s-one-shot-covid-19-vaccine-1.665353?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EBB%2003.12.21&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief

Bloomberg – U.S. Commander Skeptical on North Korea’s Claim of New Missile

March 11, 2021 ROK-U.S. News

Robert Abrams – Photographer: AHN YOUNG-JOON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. commander for Korea said there’s a “significant gap” between North Korea showing off a new submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile and having a viable nuclear weapon.

North Korea characterized the missile as “the world’s most powerful weapon” after giving it a public debut in a January parade.

“There remains a significant gap, however, between asserting North Korea possesses the ‘most powerful weapon,’ and certifying they possess not only the actual weapons but also a platform capable of successfully delivering it,” Army General Robert Abrams, the U.S. Forces Korea commander, said Wednesday in a written statement to the House Armed Services Committee.

“Projecting a capability in a parade, while an effective communication strategy, does not necessarily equal the ability to deliver it,” he said. “In fact, there has been no reporting to indicate that North Korea has exhibited a platform capable of delivering the weapons we were shown.”

Still, he said, “this new, possibly larger” intercontinental ballistic missile that can be launched by submarine may be an “intermediate step” toward obtaining solid-propellant ICBMs.

Article: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-10/u-s-commander-skeptical-on-north-korea-s-claim-of-new-missile?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EBB%2003.11.21&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief

Military Times – Seoul agrees to pay more for hosting American troops in 2021

March 11, 2021 ROK-U.S. News

In this April 26, 2019, file photo, South Korean and U.S. Army soldiers patrol during a rehearsal to mark the first anniversary of a summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on April 27, at the border village of Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas in Paju, South Korea. (Ahn Young-joon/AP)

WASHINGTON — Striking a delicate balance, the United States and South Korea have agreed Seoul will pay 13.9 percent more this year for hosting American troops as part of a multiyear deal crafted to keep Seoul’s share of the overall cost within historical norms, officials said Wednesday.

The deal, which had been announced earlier this week but without financial details, ends a long stalemate that had strained relations between allies after the Trump administration demanded a five-fold increase in Seoul’s contributions.

President Joe Biden’s willingness to quickly accept smaller increases is cast by the State Department as evidence that the Biden administration wants to repair relations with key allies in East Asia as it focuses on regional unity in confronting China and North Korea.

The State Department announced Wednesday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Tokyo and Seoul next week for security consultations to “reaffirm the United States’ commitment to strengthening our alliances.” Blinken will be joined in both meetings by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who also will visit India. On his way home, Blinken will stop in Anchorage, Alaska, to join Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, for talks with senior Chinese officials, the State Department said.

American and South Korean officials, in separate briefings for reporters in Washington and Seoul, said the 13.9 percent increase will apply to the South Korean government’s payments this year. In each of the following four years, the increase will match increases in Seoul’s national defense budget.

The previous agreement had expired at the end of 2019; the new deal covers 2020 retroactively by keeping South Korea’s payment the same as 2019 at about 1.04 trillion Korean won, or the equivalent of about $910 million at current exchange rates. For this year, Seoul agreed to pay 1.18 trillion won, or about $1 billion. That is a 13.9 percent increase, which a State Department official said is the largest since 2004.

Overall, South Korea will be paying about 44 percent of the overall cost of having American troops based on the peninsula, not counting U.S. military and civilian salaries. The State Department said that is similar to Seoul’s share over many years. The U.S. has about 28,500 troops in South Korea.

Article: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2021/03/10/seoul-agrees-to-pay-more-for-hosting-american-troops-in-2021/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EBB%2003.11.21&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief

The Hill – Blinken, Austin to make first overseas trip to Japan, South Korea

March 11, 2021 ROK-U.S. News

BY LAURA KELLY –

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will travel together to Japan and South Korea next week, the State Department said in a statement Wednesday, the first overseas trip for senior Cabinet officials.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the trip is meant to “reaffirm the United States’ commitment to strengthening our alliances and to highlight cooperation that promotes peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world.”

But it also comes at a time of tense relations between Washington and Beijing and as the Biden administration is reviewing its policy toward North Korea and the threat from its nuclear weapons program.

Tokyo and Seoul are key U.S. allies in the Pacific. Japan was one of the first major Asian countries to condemn the coup in Myanmar, in a joint statement at the time with the Group of Seven countries that includes the U.S. And the U.S. and South Korea announced on Wednesday an agreement that Seoul would increase its contributions to host U.S. forces in the country by nearly 14 percent.

The trip to Japan and South Korea will take place March 15-18, although Austin will begin his trip in Hawaii on March 13 to visit the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Headquarters. He will also travel to India following the trip to South Korea and Japan.

The trip will take place following an expected virtual meeting Friday morning between President Biden and the leaders of Japan, India and Australia, called the Quad, to discuss cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

Blinken and Austin will participate in a meeting, called the Security Consultative Committee, with Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi and Minister of Defense Nobuo Kishi.

A similar bilateral meeting will take place with their counterparts in South Korea, with Blinken and Austin meeting with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Minister of Defense Suh Wook, in what will formally be called a U.S.-ROK Foreign and Defense Ministerial.

In India, the Defense secretary will meet with Indian Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh and other senior national security leaders to discuss the U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership, advancing cooperation and supporting a “free, prosperous and open Indo-Pacific and Western Indian Ocean Region.”

The Biden administration has put a focus on refreshing alliances as part of efforts to push back against key threats. Blinken identified China as the biggest geopolitical challenge of the 21st century in a speech earlier this month at the State Department.

Article: https://thehill.com/policy/defense/542531-blinken-austin-to-make-first-overseas-trip-to-japan-south-korea?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=37489&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief

IR Insider – The ROK/US Alliance and the Threat

March 11, 2021 ROK-U.S. News

The ROK/US Alliance and the Threat

March 05, 2021 / Seamas Porter

Gen. John Tiellil Jr. discussing the importance of the current alliance between the Republic of Korea and the United States.

Key Points

The alliance between the Republic of Korea and the United States is one of the most important international relationships
North Korea poses a serious threat to the stability of Northeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula
US and ROK military officials should continue to maintain this alliance and cooperate on training programs, diplomatic measures, and other peacebuilding efforts

Summary

On Feb. 24, 2021, the Institute of World Politics, sponsored by the Asia Initiative Lecture Series, hosted the webinar “The ROK/US Alliance and the Threat” to discuss the persistence of the military alliance between South Korea and the United States since the Korean War, stability in Northeast Asia, and how tools of statecraft can be used to counter North Korean threats. The event was led by General John Tigelli, a retired Army veteran with 30 years of service and former Commander-in-Chief of the United Nations Command for the Republic of Korea/United States Combined Forces.

Gen. Tilelli began by distinguishing his perspective as a “non-political, non-governmental, and out of uniform” individual, setting a frame for the subsequent discussion. He elaborated on his position in maintaining the alliance between the two countries in the past, as well as his dual responsibility to both the President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the President of the United States.

He continued with a historical recount of both the unity and bilateral sacrifice of the alliance, and also discussed the continuity of the prime directive of the North Korean government to reunify the Korean peninsula under Communist Korean rule. Given the fact that the 70th annual commemoration of the start Korean War was in June of last year, it is important to consider the US’ responsibilities in this alliance. The first, Gen. Tilelli asserted, “is to provide security to the great people of the Republic of Korea.” This key objective includes maintaining peace and stability in the region, deterring aggression, and acting as a force of peace through the strategic alliance.

He subsequently touched on the ROK alliance itself and its many achievements in its transition after the war. Today, although the youth population largely represents those who grew up in global power Korea instead of wartime Korea, thus holding more individualist and urbanist viewpoints than their ancestors, the alliance with South Korea continues to be one of the most valuable to the US. Understanding and respecting the sacrifices for its modern democracy, the ROK has sent masks to veterans’ hospitals, increased its year-by-year budget for its command forces, and funded the most technologically advanced US military base on the planet. Divergence based on national interest, such as that during the Perry process in the Clinton administration, did not eclipse the constant augmentation of partnership accomplishments both economically and militarily.

Gen. Tilelli then transitioned to speak on the goals of the alliance, highlighting denuclearization and deterrence, as well as curbing the recent growth in cyber activity on behalf of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Acknowledging the threat of Kim Jong-un’s regime, the partnership’s combined program of missile defense toils every day to build what Gen. Tilelli believes is the strongest of any US alliance on the ground. Not to mention, Gen. Tilelli recalled the unique friendship between South Korean and American troops, strongly making the case that the alliance maintains stability through presence, not by mere visiting.

Stressing the importance the North Korean government places on manufacturing instability in the peninsula, Gen. Tilelli identified that the DPRK has been consistent as far as its policies are concerned. He discussed the extreme isolation and manipulation that the government has used to extend its lifespan and the subsequent effect it had on their population; Gen. Tilelli asserted that there exist zero agreements that North Korea has signed and followed through with. With an ongoing list of human rights violations and recent nuclear proliferation, the regime proves an uncooperative one. In fact, to generate revenue, the North Koreans have engaged in illegal arms trading, counterfeit production, and the sale of cheap laborers. These streams are not only difficult to monitor, but also largely benefit the interests of Russia and China and are blatant human rights violations. Though sanctions have been a blow to the ruling family, investments in cybercrime and the trump card of nuclear weapons are keeping the regime in power, maintaining the threat.

In this, there are some critical disagreements in the current negotiations between officials that must be resolved. Gen. Tilelli discusses three, the first being the Special Measures Agreement, which is essentially the calculus and formula behind the shared burden conducted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the ROK and the State Department. The second is the training regiment of the combined forces, determining readiness and operational techniques, especially under rotational service and leadership. The third is the OPCON transition, returning military sovereignty, among many other things, to the ROK, where the debate over the timing of this plan is of critical importance.

Amanda Won and Gen. Tilelli fielding attendees’ questions from the webinar chat.

Toward the end of the event, Gen. Tilelli was joined by Amanda Won, founder of the Asia Initiative Lecture Series, to discuss questions from the viewers. He went further in-depth regarding concerns of the ballistic defense program in response to a question posed by an IWP professor, talking about the implications of the decision to stop deploying THAAD batteries. He noted that the ROK is the host country and has proper authority to make such decisions. He assured that there are many other allies in the region that have provided assistance and that it is all a matter of measuring the capabilities of the DPRK and preparing units, not just having equipment.

This report was compiled by Seamas Porter on March 4, 2021, and edited by Sophie Slade.

Article: https://www.irinsider.org/monthly-briefs-1/2021/3/5/the-rokus-alliance-and-the-threat

Yonhap – N. Korean threat persists amid continued pursuit of weapons: USFK commander

March 10, 2021 ROK-U.S. News, Uncategorized

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, March 10 (Yonhap) — North Korea continues to pose a serious threat to the United States and its ally South Korea as Pyongyang pursues a nuclear arsenal and other weapons of mass destruction, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Wednesday.

Gen. Robert Abrams also said U.S. forces in Korea stand ready to defend South Korea from any threat.

“There have been no intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) or nuclear tests since 2017, all to say that the chance of miscalculation or mistake continues to be low, and armistice conditions continue to remain steady,” the USFK commander told the House Armed Services Committee in a statement submitted prior to a hearing on the U.S. defense posture in the Indo-Pacific region.

“However, the threat from North Korea persists,” the Army general said.

The captured image from the website of the House of Representatives shows Gen. Robert Abrams, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, testifying in a House Armed Services Committee hearing held in Washington on March 10, 2021. The USFK chief joined the committee hearing via a video link. (Yonhap)

The assessment was reiterated by David Helvey, acting assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific affairs.

“North Korea’s continued pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs constitutes an extraordinary threat to the United States and our allies and partners in the region,” he told the lawmakers.

North Korea has maintained a moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile testing since November 2017, but leader Kim Jong-un has said he no longer feels bound by the self-imposed restrictions.

Abrams said the North has continued to develop its nuclear and long-range missile capabilities despite the moratorium on testing.

“We have seen no indication to suggest the North Korean regime has taken any action toward denuclearization. North Korea also continues to exhibit the potential for new capabilities, most recently during the military parade in recognition of the 8th Party Congress in January 2021,” he said.

North Korea unveiled a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile in that parade, along with a new “solid-propellant” ballistic missile.

Abrams, however, noted that what was showcased might not reflect the regime’s actual capabilities.

“There remains a significant gap, however, between asserting North Korea possesses the ‘most powerful weapon’ and certifying they possess not only the actual weapons but also a platform capable of successfully delivering it,” he wrote.

Abrams said the Combined Forces Command of South Korea and the United States remains fully ready to counter any aggression from North Korea.

“CFC, the operational warfighting command of the U.S.-ROK alliance, is fully capable of responding to a crisis and defeating any adversary that threatens the ROK,” he said, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.

He noted the allies had adjusted their joint training exercises over the past few years to provide room for diplomacy toward the denuclearization of North Korea.

“These modifications have not stopped our training, with USFK and its component commands executing 86 percent of our total planned training events over the last two calendar years,” said Abrams.

Wednesday’s hearing, the first of its kind since President Joe Biden took office on Jan. 20, was also attended by Adm. Phil Davidson, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. It comes amid an ongoing global defense posture review by the Department of Defense.

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(END)

Article: https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210311000200325?section=national/defense

Yonhap – Latest cost-sharing deal reinvigorates S. Korea-U.S. alliance: U.S. official

March 10, 2021 ROK-U.S. News

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, March 10 (Yonhap) — The latest defense cost-sharing agreement between South Korea and the United States will help reinvigorate the alliance, a State Department official said Wednesday, calling the agreement a “fair and balanced” deal.

The U.S. official also said a large part of the proposed increase in South Korea’s contribution to the stationing of U.S. forces will go to maintaining and supporting the South Korean workforce in U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).

“President Biden has been very clear that we must reinvigorate our alliances, and in that spirit of friendship and seriousness about the challenges ahead, we found a fair and balanced cost-sharing between the United States and the Republic of Korea to support the presence of U.S. troops in the Republic of Korea,” the official said, while speaking on condition of anonymity.

“And we both recognize that in today’s complex environment with the challenges that we have, securities really cost more, and that is the spirit in which we’ve had this negotiation,” the official added.

South Korea’s top negotiator, Jeong Eun-bo, and his U.S. counterpart, Donna Welton, reached consensus on the text of what will be the 11th Special Measures Agreement (SMA) in their latest talks held in Washington on Sunday.

The photo provided by the South Korean Embassy in Washington shows Jeong Eun-bo (R), South Korea’s top negotiator in defense cost-sharing talks with the United States, and his U.S. counterpart, Donna Welton, posing during their meeting in Washington on March 7, 2021. (Yonhap)

Under the proposed agreement, Seoul will increase its share of the cost for the upkeep of the 28,500-strong USFK by 13.9 percent from the US$870 million it paid in 2019.

While the proposed rate of increase will mark the highest since 2002, the U.S. official said a large part of the increase will be used to support the Korean workforce in the USFK.

“So both the U.S. side and the Korean side recognize that one of our most important assets to protect mutually, to support our defense and deterrence posture, is the local Korean workforce,” the department official said.

“And so making sure that adequate protections and adequate resources in the special measures agreement went to support and maintain the personnel was very important and that was a big aspect and a big part of the increase to happen for SMA 11.”

The negotiations for a new SMA began before the last agreement expired at the end of 2019, but amid a lapse in the payment scheme, thousands of South Korean workers had to be furloughed last year.

Seoul earlier said the proposed 13.9 percent increase reflects the 7.4 percent rise in Seoul’s defense spending in 2020, as well as a 6.5 percent increase in the cost for Korean workers in the USFK.

The latest agreement is set to be in effect until 2025, with the rate of annual increases from next year pegged to a rise in Seoul’s defense spending.

The U.S. official said the increased amount will account for about 44 percent of non-personnel stationing cost of the U.S., which will be within the “historical parameters” of South Korean contributions.

“Usually it is somewhere around 43, 44 percent and this agreement reflects that,” the official said.

Still, the proposed agreement with South Korea comes after the U.S. signed a new SMA with Japan to extend it by one year with a 1.2 percent increase in Japan’s contribution.

The official said the countries or their SMAs with the U.S. should not be compared directly, partly because of different circumstances.

“I generally do not think that it’s good to compare special measures agreements between countries. So I would just note that special measures agreement with Japan was amended to extend it on terms of the previous agreement, so that we would have more time to negotiate a multi year agreement,” the official said.

“The 13.9 percent is what we resulted in, but we did not negotiate increases. We talked about what needed to be covered in the contribution.”

bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)

Yonhap – U.S. reaches consensus on new ‘six-year’ SMA with S. Korea: State Dept. spokesman

March 9, 2021 ROK-U.S. News, Uncategorized

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, March 8 (Yonhap) — The new defense cost-sharing agreement between South Korea and the United States will be effective for six years if signed, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department said Monday.

The first detail of the agreement came one day after the countries said they have reached a consensus on the agreement that will set South Korea’s share of the burden in maintaining U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula.

“The United States and Republic of Korea negotiators did reach a consensus on a proposed text of a new six-year Special Measures Agreement or SMA, that will strengthen our alliance and our shared defense,” department spokesman Ned Price told a daily press briefing.

The countries earlier refused to release any details of the proposed agreement, saying it must first undergo internal reviews by their respective governments.

The new SMA, if signed, will be the 11th of its kind. The allies usually renew the agreement every five years, but the last SMA expired at the end of 2019.

“The United States and the Republic of Korea together, we’re now pushing final steps needed to conclude the agreement for signature and for entry into force,” Price said, referring to South Korea by its official name.

The captured image from the website of the U.S. State Department shows department spokesman Ned Price answering questions in a daily press briefing at the State Department in Washington on March 8, 2021. (Yonhap)

The department spokesman did not provide any other details, but said the Biden administration is unlikely to have made unreasonable demands.

“I would say that the South Koreans are our allies. So in the context of a relationship with a close ally, with a treaty ally like South Korea, I don’t think the United States would make demands, and certainly I don’t think that would help strengthen the underlying alliance,” he said when asked if the new U.S. administration made less harsh demands than those of the former Trump administration.

The negotiations for a new SMA began before the last agreement expired at the end of 2019, but the countries have been unable to reach an agreement due to a large difference over Seoul’s share of the burden in the cost to upkeep some 28,500 U.S. forces in South Korea.

The countries’ negotiators had reached agreement on a 13-percent increase in Seoul’s contribution but it was rejected by then-President Donald Trump, who had initially demanded Seoul pay US$5 billion a year, up more than five times the $870 million Seoul paid in 2019.

Price said the new administration has engaged with South Korea in “good faith.”

“I think you will be hearing more about them, and I imagine the details of this you will soon learn to be an agreement that benefits both sides,” he told the press briefing.

His remarks came hours after Seoul’s top negotiator in SMA talks, Jeong Eun-bo, said the deal reached in Washington on Sunday, will be an agreement “that is reasonable, fair and acceptable to both sides.”

bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)

Article: https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210309000452325?section=national/defense

Yonhap – N. Korea poses ‘serious’ and ‘immediate’ threat to U.S., allies: Davidson

March 9, 2021 ROK-U.S. News

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Yonhap) — North Korea poses a serious and most imminent threat to the United States and its allies in the Indo-Pacific region such as South Korea, the commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said Tuesday.

Adm. Phil Davidson also said the North continues to develop its nuclear and delivery systems designed to strike the U.S. homeland.

“North Korea poses a significant security risk to the United States and our partners in the Indo Pacific Region. The country has taken no meaningful steps toward denuclearization, despite promising signs of de-escalation in 2018, and it continues to advance its strategic weapons program,” Davidson said in a statement submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee prior to a Senate hearing.

“Until the nuclear situation is resolved on the Korean Peninsula, North Korea will remain our most immediate threat,” he added.

The captured image from the website of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee shows Adm. Phil Davidson, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, speaking at a hearing in Washington on March 9, 2021. (Yonhap)

The four-star admiral said the North has continued to develop weapons of mass destruction despite its self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile testing that has been in place since late 2017.

“Pyongyang maintains a diverse and growing missile inventory, and North Korea unveiled several new ballistic systems during military parades in late 2020 and early 2021, including two SLBMs and an ICBM,” he wrote.

He also noted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has again taken a “bellicose” stance toward the United States.

“In early 2021 he characterized the United States as the North’s biggest or principal enemy as he vowed to strengthen its nuclear arsenal. Kim also identified several new weapon modernization goals in early 2021, to include developing tactical nuclear weapons and hypersonic glide vehicles and improving the readiness and accuracy of North Korea’s ICBMs,” he said.

“Pyongyang’s missile research and development efforts, coupled with its ongoing pursuit of nuclear material and technology, are consistent with the regime’s stated objective of being able to strike the U.S. homeland,” he added.

Davidson said North Korea continues to evade U.N. Security Council sanctions via illegal ship-to-ship transfers of goods prohibited under the sanctions regime, such as oil, but also through various other means, including cyber theft.

“Through cyber-enabled financial theft, extortion campaigns, and cryptojacking — wherein North Korea uses compromised computing resources to mine digital currency — North Korea raises illicit revenue to support its weapons development programs,” he said.

Meanwhile, the top U.S. military official in the Indo-Pacific said the current lack of a Special Measures Agreement between his country and South Korea may undermine the joint readiness of their combined forces.

“The United States and ROK are currently addressing a lapse in the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), which we expect to be finalized in the near term. The lack of an SMA negatively impacts USFK’s ability to ‘fight tonight,’ ” he said.

The SMA sets Seoul’s share of the cost in maintaining U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula.

The countries said they have reached a “consensus” on the text of a new SMA in their latest round of negotiations in Washington over the weekend.

They added the deal will be initialed and signed after it is reviewed by their respective governments.

South Korea paid about US$870 million as its share of the cost for the upkeep of some 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea in 2019. The U.S. State Department spokesman, Ned Price, has said the new agreement will be effective for six years. No other details of the new agreement have been made public.

Tuesday’s hearing came as the committee is set to hold a confirmation hearing for Adm. John Aquilino, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, who has been tapped to replace Davidson at the Hawaii-based command.

bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)

Article: https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210310000251325?section=national/defense

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