SEOUL — South Korea and the United States failed on Wednesday to agree on Seoul's contribution toward hosting some 28,500 U.S. troops, but the U.S. side hinted after the two days of talks ended that it will no longer stick to its $5 billion demand. No deal by Dec. 31, when the current agreement expires, may result in a repeat of last year when the two countries missed a year-end deadline but reached a retroactive deal in the new year. The two sides next meet in January in the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump has accused South Korea of being a rich nation that is profiting off the U.S. military forces, which are stationed in the country as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War and continued threats from North Korea. South Korean lawmakers have said Washington is seeking up to $5 billion a year to support the troops - more than five times the amount Seoul agreed to pay this year.

Source: New York Times December 18, 2019 10:07 UTC