President Trump touts South Korea as one of America's largest buyers of U.S. military equipment.
More attention is being drawn to this remark... as Seoul and Washington begin talks... on next year's defense cost sharing.
Kim Ji-yeon help us read between the lines.
U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks made at the start of the bilateral summit with President Moon Jae-in are widely viewed as implying that the two countries are working well... as the two countries engage in talks on defense costs-sharing... initiated in Seoul for two days starting Tuesday.
"We'll be talking about the purchase of equipment. South Korea's one of our largest purchaser of military equipment."
A South Korean military source said President Trump's statements regarding the purchase usually go in conjunction with defense cost-sharing deals,... and sees the U.S. trying to pursue national interests... and raise South Korea's esteem.
This is believed to be part of efforts to quell speculations of rising frustration between the two allies... following Seoul's refusal - despite Washington's request - to renew a military intel-sharing pact with Japan last month.
A Cheong Wa Dae official said President Moon had stressed the sharing of defense costs should be done in a reasonable manner... highlighting the country's contribution in purchasing American weapons during the past decade... and the gradual increase in shouldering defense costs.
Seoul is currently paying 870 million U.S. dollars... a 8-point-2-percent increase from the previous year... while Washington is believed to have considered asking Seoul to pay an annual 5 billion U.S. dollars.
President Moon is said to have mentioned South Korea's proposition in buying American weapons for the next three years in light of the envisioned transfer of wartime operational control from Washington to Seoul.
According to data released by the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality in January... the U.S. had sold more than 6-point-7-billion dollars of weapons to South Korea between 2008 and 2017.
This includes a 2014 contract in which South Korea plans to deploy 40 F-35A jets at a cost of nearly 6-point-2-billion dollars.
Also there's the purchase of four Global Hawks, high-altitude, unmanned aerial vehicles... a scheme worth some 737-million dollars... planned for arrival from the U.S. this December.
Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.
