New U.S. defense chief to visit S. Korea this week

The trip comes as North Koreacontinues its military provocations against South Korea's joint militaryexercises with the United States and as Washington reportedly wants Seoul toincrease its contribution to the cost of stationing 28,500 American troops inits Asian ally's territory.

During his stay in Seoul, Esperwill meet with South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and discuss keyissues related to their alliance, including the security situation on theKorean Peninsula, denuclearization and the transfer of wartime operationalcontrol, according to Seoul's defense ministry.

The ministry said Esper's firsttrip to South Korea as defense secretary will principally serve a chance toreaffirm the broad principles of the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

But the talks may also cover thedefense cost sharing issue, as well as the U.S. calls on allies to join amaritime security initiative in the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Iran.

South Korea and the U.S. areexpected to start negotiations to renew their cost-sharing deal, known as theSpecial Measures Agreement, before the current one-year accord expires at theend of the year.

U.S. President Donald Trump hasmade it clear that he wants U.S. allies to pay more for the stationing ofAmerican troops, and the administration has been conducting a review of U.S.burden-sharing policy worldwide.

A South Korean newspaper earlierreported that U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton asked Seoul during histrip here last month to raise its contribution to sharing the burden to US$5billion, an almost sixfold increase from the current level of 1.04 trillion won($881 million), which itself is a 8.2 percent increase from last year.

Speaking to the National Assemblyon Tuesday, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said the allies sharean understanding they will negotiate toward «fair cost sharing at areasonable level.»

Whether Esper will make a formalrequest to dispatch South Korean troops to the Strait of Hormuz is also drawingattention.

Seoul is reportedly consideringsending its Navy's anti-piracy Cheonghae Unit from off Somalia to the Strait ofHormuz if there is a formal request.

The issue of South Korea'sbilateral military intelligence-sharing deal with Japan, named the GeneralSecurity of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), may also be discussedduring the upcoming talks.

South Korea is inching towardscrapping the agreement, an official said after a senior-level tripartitemeeting of the government, the ruling party and the presidential office onJapan's decision to remove South Korea from its list of preferred tradingpartners.

The agreement -- signed in 2016 --has been automatically renewed each year in August. It will expire in November,however, if either party notifies the other of its intention to scrap it 90days in advance.

Washington, however, has voiced itsstrong support for the agreement.

On Monday, South Korea and the U.S.plan to conduct a joint military exercise aimed at testing Seoul's ability toretake wartime operational control from Washington.

North Korea has warned that if theexercise goes ahead, it will affect the regime's decision on whether to resumeworking-level talks with the U.S. on dismantling its nuclear weapons program.