FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
US President Donald Trump has stated that he would like to take ownership of the land in South Korea where US military bases are located, questioning the existing agreement on the use of these territories.
“We have a very good military relationship. They would say, ‘But we gave you land,’ and I said, ‘No, you didn’t give it to us, you leased it to us.’ There’s a big difference between giving and leasing,” Trump said during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
According to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), the lands where US military bases are located belong to the South Korean government and are made available to the United States Forces Korea (USFK) "free of charge."
Trump added that "perhaps one of the things I would like to do is ask South Korea to give us ownership of the land where we have our big fortifications." He stressed that the US has spent a lot of money building these structures, although part of the cost has been covered by Seoul, and that he would like to "get out of the lease and return it to American ownership."
The president did not specify which base he was referring to, but he was likely referring to Camp Humphreys, the largest U.S. base outside the United States, with a population larger than several U.S. cities. Its recently completed expansion cost $10.8 billion, about 90% of which was funded by the South Korean government, according to Gen. Vincent Brooks, a former commander of USFK.
USFK moved from the Yongsan area in central Seoul to Pyeongtaek in 2022. The land in Yongsan was returned to South Korea and part of it has now been converted into public parks.
This statement by Trump is expected to spark debate, as it touches on one of the main pillars of US-South Korea military relations, which are based on partnership and not territorial ownership.
Lini një Përgjigje