Donald Trump pressures South Korea to pay more for defense

“South Korea is making a lot of money and they are very good, they are very good but you know, they should be paying for their own military,” Trump said during a government meeting.

His remarks came a day after he announced, in his first series of letters to key trading partners, the imposition of a 25% tariff on goods from Japan and South Korea.

In effect, this decision extended the negotiation period between the two countries and postponed the 25% tariff on South Korean goods, which was scheduled to begin on July 9 if no agreement was reached.

Trump's pressure comes amid North Korea’s apparent emboldening due to its stronger partnership with Russia.

After NATO leaders agreed last month to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, South Korea stated that similar negotiations are ongoing among its allies. According to the Ministry of Defense, South Korea plans to spend 2.32% of its GDP on defense this year.

In response to requests to comment on Trump’s statements, the Ministry said both countries should adhere to the agreement to ensure the stable presence of US troops in South Korea and maintain a strong defense posture.

Last year, the US and South Korea signed a five-year agreement on the joint funding of US troop deployment on the divided peninsula. According to the deal, South Korea will increase its contribution to $1.1 billion by 2026, which is 8.3% more than this year.