Seoul: The relationship between South Korea and the United States remains "strong," the State Department's spokesperson stated Tuesday, amidst concerns about potential impacts on the bilateral alliance due to the absence of a fully elected leader in Seoul following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's ouster.
According to Yonhap News Agency, last Friday, the Constitutional Court unanimously upheld the impeachment of Yoon, removing him from office over his brief imposition of martial law in December. This decision has paved the way for a presidential election in early June, with Acting President Han Duck-soo currently leading the Seoul government.
"I know that our relationship with South Korea is strong, and I know that as an ally, we are expecting them to follow certain rules and norms," Tammy Bruce, the spokesperson, stated during a regular press briefing. She emphasized the enjoyment of the allyship and the relationship between the two nations.
Following Yoon's dismissal, the State Department reaffirmed its commitment to working with the acting president and reiterated its "ironclad" security commitment to South Korea. However, there is ongoing speculation that policy coordination between Seoul and Washington could face challenges during this political transition period.
Bruce declined to comment on the possibility of renegotiating last year's defense cost-sharing deal between Seoul and Washington. "I can't answer that, right? So I won't be discussing the nature of diplomatic conversations or anything of that nature, or what choices we might make either, certainly as a government, but certainly not as the State Department," Bruce said.
The prospects for renegotiation surfaced as President Donald Trump mentioned on Tuesday that he and Han discussed Seoul's payment for America's military protection during their first phone call since Trump assumed office in January.
In October, Seoul and Washington reached the cost-sharing agreement, known as the Special Measures Agreement (SMA). Under this deal for the 2026-30 period, Seoul is set to pay 1.52 trillion won (US$1.03 billion) next year for stationing the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea -- an increase from 1.4 trillion won this year.
After the SMA negotiations concluded, Trump, then a presidential candidate, claimed that South Korea would be paying $10 billion annually for the upkeep of USFK if he had been in the White House. He also referred to the Asian country as a "money machine."