Prospects for settlement of defense expenses... It is likely to be announced during the visit to Korea

<Anchor>

Tomorrow (6th), the 9th Korea-US defense cost share negotiation meeting will be held in Washington.

The negotiations, which have been in place for the first year, are expected to be concluded this time due to the excessive demands of the former President Trump.

It is observed that the official results will be announced by the US Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense, who are pursuing their visit to Korea on the 17th, coming to Seoul.

This is Kim Yoon-soo, a correspondent from Washington.

<Reporter>

Eun-bo Chung, Ambassador for the US-Korea Defense Cost Sharing Negotiations, has arrived in Washington.

To attend tomorrow's 9th defense cost-sharing negotiation meeting.

Negotiations have been around for a year as former President Trump objected to a 13% increase in defense cost sharing, which was tentatively agreed by the ROK-US working group in March last year.

There was one video conference held last month since the inauguration of the Biden government, but this is the first time in person.

As such, there are many observations that there is a high possibility that the negotiations will be concluded at this meeting.

[Jeongeunbo / ROK defense sharing talks Ambassador: but hope that is the last, if necessary, itgoyo may require additional face-to-face negotiations, most of the issues details are to be (we) solved]

before the US media are the bilateral defense contribution after another It is reported that it is close to signing a multi-year contract with a 13% increase.

The fact that US Secretary of State Blincoln and US Secretary of Defense Austin are pursuing a visit to Korea on the 17th is also weighing on the observations of the conclusion of the negotiations.

There is a possibility that the two ministers will visit Korea and make an official announcement of what was concluded at the meeting tomorrow.

Prior to their visit to Korea, the two ministers also decided to visit Japan and hold the US-Japan Security Consultative Committee.

As the head of diplomacy of the Biden administration chose Korea and Japan as the first overseas trip, it is evaluated that the strengthening of the triangular alliance between Korea and the United States has started in earnest.