Fact-check · Aug 17, 2026 · Donald Trump
“South Korea...were paying $3,000,000,000 a year”
FALSE
What the record shows
South Korea paid approximately $920 million annually under the 2019 SMA; $1 billion under the 2021-2025 SMA; and will pay roughly $1.19 billion starting in 2026 under the 12th SMA signed November 2024.
Sources
- South Korean lawmakers back $1.1 billion initial payment for US troop presence | Stars and Stripes
- U.S.-South Korea Burden-Sharing Talk Remain Stuck. Here's How to Fix It. | The Heritage Foundation
- S. Korea, US clinch 2026-30 defense cost-sharing deal in pre-election push - The Korea Herald
- Cost of household goods expected to influence how much South Korea pays for US defense | Stars and Stripes
- State
- ROK-USA - Special Measures Agreement [SMA]
From: President Trump Greets Lifeguard Ryder Williams
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