they are trying to shoehorn the costs of the Indo-Pacific Command's anti-Chinese operations into the SMA negotiations, and South Korea isn't going to accept that.

what exactly is wrong with having a rich, capitalist nation pay the lion's share of the costs of our troop presence that they requested?

Even conservative military experts have criticized the Trump approach to the negotiations.

South Koreans point out the US demands do not include financial burdens South Korea maintains unilaterally to support US Forces Korea. Among those are the provision of bases cost free, and the construction of the largest US base outside the US at Pyongtaek, Camp Humphreys, at a cost of $9.8 billion US to South Korea.

Additionally, South Korea provides troops trained in US language and customs to assist and facilitate US military missions in South Korea. (KATUSA: Korea augmentees to the US Army.) The US calculations also ignore the substantial purchases by South Korea of advanced weaponry from the US every year, and the substantial amount of its own GDP that South Korea commits to national defense each year, the highest among US allies. South Korea has purchased 14 billion in US weapons systems in recent years.

The exorbitant US demands are an disingenuous attempt to force South Korea to undertake additional costs of the so-called Indo-Pacific alliance aimed against China of which it is not a part. The Trump administration hopes to set a precedent with South Korea by forcing them to absorb a massively increased "share" of alliance costs which will then serve as an example to extract additional increased contributions from Japan and NATO allies.

Far more informative than “Cause Trump sucks!”

Appreciate your interest in the subject matter.

My Father in Law was stationed at the JSA in the late 60s but hardly talks about it and the press doesn’t mention those numbers.

Sincere thanks.