Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Aug 10: Internal documents from the Trump administration reveal that US officials considered pressing South Korea to raise its defense spending to 3.8% of GDP and publicly support greater strategic flexibility for US Forces Korea (USFK), The Washington Post reported.

The proposals, drafted during tariff negotiations, show how former President Donald Trump’s team may have aimed to use trade talks as leverage to achieve broader national security goals — far beyond trade imbalances or domestic manufacturing concerns.

Proposed Demands: Spending Hike & Political Support

The documents suggest the US wanted Seoul to:

• Increase defense spending from 2.6% to 3.8% of GDP
• Expand its $1 billion+ annual contribution toward the cost of hosting roughly 28,500 US troops
• Issue a political statement endorsing the strategic repositioning of USFK to help deter China, not just North Korea

An early draft of a "US-Korea agreement" stated that South Korea should support operational flexibility for US troops on its soil — a significant policy shift that would allow USFK to be deployed in a broader range of missions, including China-related contingencies.

Strategic Flexibility: A Hot-Button Issue

The concept of strategic flexibility has long been controversial in South Korea, where critics fear it could pull the country into regional conflicts beyond the Korean Peninsula. Traditionally, USFK’s primary role has been to deter threats from North Korea.

However, amid rising tensions with China and growing US emphasis on "burden-sharing", there’s been renewed pressure on allies — including South Korea — to expand defense budgets and support broader US security interests in the Indo-Pacific.

The Pentagon's “global standard” now reportedly targets 5% of GDP for defense spending among allies.

Potential Agenda for Upcoming Summit

The timing of this report is notable, as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is expected to meet with Donald Trump later this month. The issues of military cost-sharing and USFK’s role in regional strategy are likely to be on the agenda, as Seoul and Washington continue to redefine the future of their alliance.

South Korea’s current defense budget stands at 61.2 trillion won (US$44.2 billion), about 2.32% of GDP, according to its defense ministry — well below the threshold discussed in the Trump-era documents.

While it's unclear if these ideas were ever formally tabled during negotiations, the report underscores how deeply trade, security, and regional strategy are intertwined in US foreign policy, especially amid growing tensions with China.