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The U.S. is refusing to acknowledge some US$300-400 million the Korean government gives to the U.S. Forces Korea every year, Democratic Labor Party lawmaker Roh Hoe-chan said Wednesday. The minor opposition party lawmaker came up with the figure by comparing materials from Korea's Defense Ministry and the U.S. Department of Defense, concluding that Seoul in 2002 gave the U.S. Forces Korea US$1.19 billion which the U.S. recorded as $843 million.
That is a difference of US$349 million. For the year 2000, the gap between the two calculations stood at 388.12 million and for 2001 at 316.57 million. "The Korean government counted the funds provided to maintain the Korean Augmentation To the United States Army (KATUSA) program, but the U.S. didn¡¯t, and there were discrepancies on real estate rental fees as well,¡± Roh said.
Roh also said the amount Seoul pays for USFK upkeep should decrease if the wartime military control is returned to Korea since the USFK¡¯s role will diminish as well. Ahead of negotiations on the handover of sole wartime operational control, the U.S. is instead asking for an ¡°equitable¡± divvying up of the upkeep. Roh commented it would be ¡°ridiculous¡± for Korea to pay more once it has sole control of its troops.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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