Big increase in defense cost sharing could backfire on US
(WorldNews South Korea)

By Jhoo Dong-chan A whopping increase in South Korea`s share of defense costs mostly for the maintenance of some 28,500 United States Forces Korea troops, could potentially backfire on Washington as the increase could weaken the U.S.-South Korea security alliance and lead to Seoul`s spending less on U.S.-manufactured weapons. Senior U.S. military officials were in Seoul last week to push for the extension of a bilateral intelligence sharing pact with Japan, and an increase in defense cost-sharing for the United States Forces Korea (USFK). It remains to be seen whether their South Korean counterparts or National Security Council (NSC) members will acquiesce on these issues, as Trump`s...