South Korea agrees to 13.9% increase in U.S. troop-hosting costs

South Korea said Wednesday it has agreed with the United States to increase the costs of hosting U.S. troops by 13.9 percent this year from 2019 to a total of 1.18 trillion won ($1.03 billion).Negotiations on the cost-sharing deal had dragged on as the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump is said to have demanded a sharp increase in Seoul's contribution.The latest Special Measures Agreement covers six years from 2020 to 2025, rather than from this year, as the previous deal expired at the end of 2019. Seoul's payment for 2020 is kept at the 2019 level.South Korea's annual co…READ FULL ARTICLE