Washington, DC - Representatives from the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) will meet in Honolulu, Hawaii March 7-9 for the first round of consultations to develop the 10th Special Measures Agreement (SMA), which will enter into force in 2019. Senior Advisor for Security Negotiations and Agreements Timothy Betts from the Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs will lead the U.S. delegation, which includes representatives from the Department of State and the Department of Defense. Ambassador Chang Won-sam, Special Representative for SMA Consultations, will lead the ROK delegation, which includes representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense.
Since 1991, the ROK has helped offset the costs of stationing U.S. forces through the SMA mechanism. Under the current five-year SMA that expires on December 31, 2018, the ROK provided approximately $830 million per year. Building on President Trump’s November 7-8 visit to the ROK, both delegations are committed to developing an agreement that strengthens the U.S.-ROK Alliance and that ensures the security of the ROK and its people.