The United States and South Korea are gearing up to start negotiations for the latest version of their alliance cost-sharing agreement, the deal that helps America defray the costs of basing 28,500 troops in Korea.

The last such arrangement – the 10th Special Measures Agreement (SMA) – was signed on March 8, 2019. It allowed for an 8.2% increase in South Korea’s contribution. The one year agreement was much shorter than previous agreements, which tended to cover 3-5 year periods.

The current SMA expires on December 31, but it can be extended in case a new agreement isn’t completed on time.

Arriving