South Korea and the United States are ready to begin talks on the sharing of costs for the upkeep of U.S. troops in South Korea as both sides have appointed their chief negotiators. 

According to Seoul’s foreign ministry on Tuesday, Lee Tae-woo, former consul general in Sydney, will represent the country in the upcoming talks on the 12th Special Measures Agreement(SMA). The ministry noted his experience and expertise in various fields pertaining to the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

The U.S. State Department also said on its website that Linda Specht, a senior adviser and lead negotiator for security agreements at the department, will lead the U.S. side in the talks.

Announcing the appointments of their chief negotiators, the two nations said that their delegations will strive for productive discussions that will strengthen their combined defense posture and further solidify the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

Since 1991, the allies have determined how to share the costs for the upkeep of U.S. troops in Korea through the SMA talks every two-to-five years and this is the 12th round of negotiations. 
 
Negotiations for the eleventh SMA concluded in 2021 and the agreement is set to expire at the end of 2025.