Trump ramps up pressure on S. Korea with dual demands on trade, defense

U.S. President Donald Trump escalated pressure on Korea by pairing tariff threats with renewed demands for increased defense cost-sharing, amid ongoing trade talks between the two nations. The Trump administration formally notified Korea, Monday (local time), of a potential 25 percent "reciprocal" tariff to take effect on Aug. 1. The next day, Trump renewed demands for Seoul to sharply increase its share of the cost of stationing U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula. At a Cabinet meeting, Trump criticized South Korea’s military cost contributions as inadequate given its economic standing. “We rebuilt South Korea. We stayed there. It’s OK. We rebuilt it. And they pay us very little for the military,” he said. He added, “They should be paying for their military,” citing the East Asian country’s economic strength. Trump also referred to his previous negotiations regarding defense cost-sharing during his first term. "I said for South Korea as an example, you know, we give you free military, essentially very little, and I think you should pay us $10 billion a year." He did not sayWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times