Defense chief pushes South Korea for 'substantial increase' in troop funding.By Jen KwonNovember 15, 2019 / 8:58 AM/ CBS NewsU.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper shakes hands with South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo during their press conference after the 51st Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) at the Defense Ministry on November 15, 2019 in Seoul, South Korea.JEON HEON-KYUN/POOL/GettySeoul — U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper began an eight-day trip to Asia on Friday in South Korea, where he called on the close American ally to contribute more money to maintain the roughly 28,500-strong U.S. Troop presence in the country. President Trump has pushed U.S. Allies to cough up more money for shared security burdens in both and Asia.
North Korea fires two unidentified projectiles, South Korea says'It is important to note that most of the money (that South Korea contributes) stays here in the country, easy over the 90% of the funding stays here in Korea, it does not go to the United States,' he said in an apparent bid to persuade not just Korean officials, but al so tax payers that their money wasn't being used to fund things unrelated to South Korean security.Neither government has openly discussed proposed figures. Last year South Korea contributed just over $1 billion to help maintain the U.S. Force in the country. This year it was just less than a billion.On his flight to South Korea, Esper did say the U.S.
Was seeking a 'substantial increase' in Seoul's contribution, but he wouldn't be any more specific. South Korean officials have said only that the 'defense cost share should be decided at a level that is fair and mutually agreeable.' President Donald Trump speaks to U.S. Troops at the Osan Airbase on June 20, 2019 in Pyeongtaek, South Korea.GettySouth Korean media, citing unnamed officials in the country, have said the Trump administration is seeking a whopping five-fold increase, to $4.7 billion dollars per year. While neither U.S. Nor South Korean officials have confirmed it, the headlines alone have been enough to whip up anger in South Korea.
Last month university students to protest Washington's demand for more cash.Esper's remarks on Monday weren't well received, either. South Korean news outlets said 47 lawmakers signed a joint statement asking the U.S.
To clearly explain the basis for a requested increase in troop funding.' Rumored reports that the U.S. Troops could be withdrawn from Korea unless the current defense cost share of 1.38 trillion won is increased by five times, is a serious threat,' the lawmakers wrote.
Drops it's alliance's value to the level of a mercenary and threatens to withdraw its troops from South Korea unless we pay $5 billion, we won't be threatened with this and (we will) stand tall in defiance and endure Trump's threat.' First published on November 15, 2019 / 8:58 AM© 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Ankit Srivastava, Editor – in – ChiefAt the 2019 meeting of the Global Offset and Countertrade Association (GOCA) – an entity that promotes trade and commerce between companies around the world and their foreign customers through a greater understanding of countertrade and offset – South Korea made an important announcement regarding its defence offset policy. At the conference held in Virginia, US, on 7 May, Lieutenant Colonel Nan Kim, Legal Affairs Officer at the Office of Defense Logistics Attache at the Korean Embassy in the US, announced that South Korea will change the name of its defence offset policy to become an industrial co-operation programme later this year.
This name-changing exercise is a reflection of the country’s increasing emphasis on supporting local defence industrial development through closer ties between foreign contractors and domestic companies.The formal name changing will occur on December 2019 manifesting the recent policy amendments introduced by South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) as well as planned updates for the near future. The Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) produces an annual report on South Korea’s arms exports.
It provides the data on South Korea’s arms exports, including the total value of exports, broken down by sector and destination region. In 2018, DAPA announced changes in the country’s defence offset policy.
The updated policy includes a new “industrial co-operation quota system” that will outline a requirement for foreign contractors to procure certain amounts of locally produced components for integration into military platforms supplied to the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. As per DAPA, these policy measures will ensure supply to the military as well as boost jobs and support capability development.The new policy also entails “a shift from the acquisition of defence technologies to the export of defence components” by promoting “mid- to long-term, large-scale co-operation” between foreign contractors and local companies. Changes in the 2018 policy included revisions for multipliers and the offset banking system. The new multiplier system assigns 2× for unspecified core technologies and 3× for facilitating exports from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). As part of Article 28 of the revised policy, the Banking system provides increased flexibility for foreign contractors, enabling the transfer of credits to third parties if the credits are banked in defence/dual-use domains rather than civilian sectors.
The previous 50% limit on banked offsets has been removed and the period in which offsets can be banked has been extended to seven years, although the cap on commercial offsets is set for five years.Under the 2018 update, activities listed under the banking system include manufacturing and exports, joint development, foreign investment, and the procurement of maintenance support. A pre-banking system has also been introduced. This is intended to enable foreign contractors to perform offset activities separate from the main programme. Pre-banking eligibility and related offset requirements will be determined by DAPA’s offset counsel and the fact that the DAPA as of now has no plans to lower penalties. Commenting on recent offset changes, Lt Col Kim remarked that they are intended to increase the transparency of offsets, support a shift in emphasis from technology transfers to exports through supply chain participation, and put a greater emphasis on SME involvement.The new focus is intended to address some of the problems with the legacy policy, he said.
Korean Defense Offset Program Guidelines For College
These included the “one-time” benefits of technology transfers, and obligors’ dissatisfaction with aspects of the old policy, including the length of negotiation period, the lack of offset banking, and a limited time to complete offset projects. Additional planned changes to the policy in the near term will put an even greater emphasis on encouraging collaboration between foreign contractors and local industry.One new initiative, which is targeted for implementation in July 2021, is an industrial quota system, confirmed Lt Col Kim.
Korean Defense Offset Program Guidelines 2018
This will introduce a workshare percentage on co-operation programmes to ensure local industrial involvement. It is expected that the quota system will support such involvement in both domestic programmes and exports.DAPA has updated its defence offset policy on five occasions since 2015. As indicated by Lt Col Kim, the emphasis on introducing additional amendments will continue for the near term as DAPA seeks to encourage greater levels of collaboration.Photo Credit: ShutterstockEmail: ankits@newdelhitimes.comTwitter: @ankitndt.