Suspected of pressure? U.S. military in South Korea reports South Korean staff may face unpaid leave

China News Service, February 28. According to a Korean media report, the U.S. military in South Korea stated on the 28th that if the special consultation on the sharing of defense costs between South Korea and the United States was not reached, it would be mandatory to implement unpaid South Korean staff at the base from April 1. Vacation.

The US Army Command in South Korea said on the 28th that the special agreement on the sharing of defense costs between the United States and South Korea has not been signed so far, and the agreement has remained blank. At present, 9,000 South Korean employees have been notified 30 days in advance, and the Korean employees at the base may face unpaid leave from April 1.

It is reported that although the US Department of Defense stated that it would support the salaries of South Korean employees engaged in the main business of the US Army in South Korea, prior notification was made for all South Korean employees.

The U.S. military in South Korea added that if South Korea does not have a continuing agreement to share the cost of hiring South Korean staff, US military headquarters in South Korea will soon run out of funds needed to pay South Korean staff salaries and total.

Robert Abrams, commander of the US Army in South Korea, spoke highly of South Korean staff and their contributions to the Korean-American alliance, saying that they are indispensable for the US military's mission in South Korea.

He said that the vacancy of South Korean employees will affect the situation of combat readiness. If, unfortunately, a defense-sharing agreement cannot be reached, US forces in South Korea must continue to prepare for temporary unpaid leave.

Korean media analysis said that this may be the US pressure on the South Korean government to try to make the South Korean share more defense costs.

It is reported that the US Army Command in South Korea analyzed the decision of the U.S. Department of Defense on who will be suspended from pay.

Since the signing of the first defense cost sharing agreement in 1991, South Korea and the United States have signed 10 agreements so far. According to the 10th agreement signed in March 2019, the defense cost borne by South Korea is about 1 trillion won (about 870 million US dollars), an increase of 8.2% over 2018. The agreement is valid as of December 31, 2019.

At present, the ROK and the United States have conducted six rounds of negotiations to sign the 11th Special Agreement on Defense Cost Sharing, and the two sides have not yet reached an agreement.