US increases the cost of its military presence in Japan and South Korea - Politics Forum.org | PoFo

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The U.S. and Republic of Korea (ROK) militaries kicked off their annual Foal Eagle/Key Resolve joint military drills simulating war on the Korean Peninsula on April 1 following a decision to postpone the exercises by a month to avoid overlapping with the Winter Olympics in South Korea.
Despite the Pentagon’s claim that the drills will be on the “same scale, scope and duration as previous years,” Foal Eagle has been shortened to a month and will not involve U.S. military hardware considered by the North Korean regime to be especially threatening (so-called strategic assets) including nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, nuclear-powered submarines and U.S. strategic bombers such as the B-1, B-2 and B-52.
Carriers, subs, and bombers are seen by North Korea as overtly provocative as they would be key U.S. military assets in any preemptive-strike scenario against the regime in Pyongyang. However, Foal Eagle will see the participation of U.S. Navy’s Wasp Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG), which is slated to deploy for a landing exercise at Pohang in South Korea’s North Gyeongsang Province this month.
At the same time, the US wants to increase the financial burden of its main allies in Asia-South Korea and Japan for American military presence in their territory.
By the end of last year, a little more than 39,000 troops were stationed in Japan, with the Marine Corps representing roughly a third of that force at 13,724 personnel, according to the most recent data released by the Department of Defense. That’s by far the largest force stationed overseas among the entire U.S. military, with Germany next up at more than 34,000 troops, followed by South Korea at nearly 23,500 troops.
Along with that balanced bevy of troops, ships and aircraft, South Korea also has a heavy U.S. military presence. Four Army, one Navy and three other Air Force installations have long served as deterrents to the North in the years following the Korean War. The U.S also has installations in Singapore and Guam.
At the present time, the Japanese people is skeptical of the U.S. military presence. The American military bases cost Japan $4 billion annually. If forgone rent and other revenues are included, Japan's annual burden jumps to $5 billion, at a time when the Japanese government faces a serious financial crisis. In terms of cost-sharing, Japan bears the largest burden among U.S. allies for maintaining U.S. forces, with Germany and South Korea paying $60 million and $290 million, respectively.
If the governments of these countries succumb to American pressure and increase payments for the presence of US troops in their territory, they risk causing serious discontent among their population, which could result in anti-American protests.
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