Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper will host a
bilateral meeting with the Minister of Defense from the Republic of
Korea (ROK), Kyeong-doo Jeong, at the Pentagon on Monday, February 24,
2020 at 1630 EST. The two leaders will discuss a range of bilateral
issues including the regional security environment, policy towards the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), transition of wartime
operational control (OPCON), and the U.S. ROK Special Measures Agreement
(SMA).
The U.S.-ROK Special Measures Agreement helps to offset the
significant cost of stationing U.S. forces within the Republic of
Korea. Contributions are divided across three categories: Korean
National labor, ROK funded construction, and logistics, with the vast
majority of SMA contributions going back into the ROK economy. Funding
provided under the 10th Special Measures Agreement lapsed on December
31, 2019.
Since then, in the absence of ROK agreement to a new SMA that covers
costs more equitably, U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) has taken the additional
step to enable continuity of its operations by programming U.S. funds to
sustain the salaries of its Korean National workforce. These U.S.
funds will be exhausted on Tuesday, March 31, 2020, unless the ROK
government agrees to materially increase its support for U.S. forces
committed to the defense of the ROK. If agreement cannot be reached on a
comprehensive new SMA, it will be necessary to furlough most KN
employees on April 1, 2020, and suspend many construction and logistics
activities.
USFK has been conducting continuous planning to mitigate risk to
life, health, safety and minimize impacts to readiness. The Department
of Defense will fund critical USFK logistics cost sharing contracts and
the salaries of key USFK Korean National employees who provide these
services. All other services supported by KN employees will need to be
suspended in an orderly and deliberate fashion.
Furloughs may be avoided if the ROK agrees to a more equitable SMA.
The United States remains committed to negotiating a mutually acceptable
agreement which provides for fair and equitable burden sharing and
strengthens the U.S.-ROK alliance.
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