National Assembly Agrees To ratify Korea-U.S. Defense Cost Sharing Agreement Between 2026 and 2030

The National Assembly has agreed to ratify the 12th Korea-U.S. Special Agreement on the Sharing of Defense Expenses.

The ruling and opposition parties voted at the plenary session to ratify the agreement, which stipulates the sharing of U.S. military expenses in South Korea from 2026 to 2030.

The motion calls for increasing the contribution by 8.3% in 2026 from last year and reflecting the growth rate of the consumer price index from the previous year from 2027, but not exceeding 5%.

The government is expected to emphasize that even if the second Trump administration, which will be launched in January next year, calls for an increase in defense cost sharing, the agreement already agreed between South Korea and the U.S. has taken effect.