Washington risk losing influence on the Korean peninsula, undermining East Asia strategy if trying to claim $ 4.7 billion "protection fee" from Seoul.

"President Donald Trump wants Seoul to contribute more to US forces stationed in South Korea," US State Department adviser in charge of security negotiations James DeHart said during a meeting with South Korean parliamentary officials on Saturday. 11. DeHart said Washington wants Seoul to spend $ 4.7 billion to maintain US forces stationed in South Korea.

South Korea expressed unwillingness to contribute such a large fee. Experts warn that the United States could lose one of its key allies in East Asia if it tries to urge South Korea to increase its defense contribution.

Prior to running for the 2016 election, Trump had suggested that the United States should stop defending South Korea and Japan, or that the two nations needed to spend more money on Washington. "Korea is like a cash machine and does not return much to the US. It would be better if Japan defended itself against North Korea. They would have to protect or pay for us," Trump said in a statement. January 2016.

Dr. Gal Luft, director of the Institute for Global Security Analysis (IAGS) in the US, said Trump's claim for "protection fees" showed he was fulfilling his campaign commitments, including ending the Washington bears the cost of defending its allies, in service of the 2020 re-election campaign.

"Trump has repeatedly asked to cut down on unnecessary spending, as well as require allies to increase their contributions in the context of the US fiscal deficit approaching $ 1,000 billion. He wants to show that he is stand up to protect the interests of the American people, different from previous presidents, "Dr. Luft said, arguing that the results of negotiations for sharing defense budget with South Korea will be the standard for the opposition. Similar dialog with Japan, Germany and NATO.

The US maintains about 28,500 garrison and a variety of modern weapons in South Korea to ensure its security. Even if South Korea agrees to pay $ 5 billion, it is hard for the United States to strengthen its presence on the Korean peninsula. "US forces deployed here are based on North Korea's non-nuclear defense capabilities. However, Pyongyang has recently not significantly increased its traditional military force, but has focused on strengthening its nuclear potential." ", Luft added.

Professor Kevin Gray, East Asia expert at the University of Sussex in the UK, said that Trump always wanted to create the impression that Korea needs US military presence more than the US needs Korea. However, Gray said that in fact, the United States deployed and maintained a large number of troops in this area not only to protect Korea, but also to serve a broader strategy, including countering China. Korea in East Asia.

"Korea does not really need the US support to deal with the conventional attack from North Korea. Seoul's defense budget is 10 times higher than Pyongyang, they are more defenseless. The thinking that Korea needs to bear the burden. Additional protection fees do not seem to be aligned with the major benefits the US gains from the current situation, "Gray said.

The US demand for security costs is considered by many Koreans to be "unreasonable" and its leadership is likely to flatly refuse to spend more money on Washington to gain domestic political support. Anti-American sentiment in South Korea has abated since the early 2000s, but is at risk of flare up again after Trump's statements.

"President Moon Jae-in's government has been losing support because of internal scandals in recent weeks. They need to maintain good relations with the United States to pursue the goal of dialogue with North Korea, but Seoul is certain. certainly do not want to be perceived as a concession to unreasonable requests from Washington as a domestic opinion, "Gray said.

The China deal depends on military cooperation between the United States and Japan and South Korea, the two countries that have had many unresolved disagreements for decades. "If US-Korea alliance decreases, Washington's influence in the region will suffer immeasurable harm," Professor Gray warned.