The first official visit of South Korea’s new President Lee Jae Myung to Washington was expected to set the tone for a stronger U.S.–South Korea alliance. Many experts believed the summit would bring clarity on how both countries planned to modernize their long-standing military partnership, but instead, Trump’s unexpected Land for America remarks quickly became the highlight of the discussions.
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Instead, headlines were dominated by U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks about wanting America to “own” some land in South Korea for military bases. This surprising statement overshadowed discussions about defense cost-sharing and joint security cooperation.
Trump linked this to what he calls his “Land for America” policy, an approach he has floated before in Panama, Canada, and Greenland. Now, South Korea appears to be part of that same discussion.
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Currently, American troops operate on South Korean soil under lease agreements, meaning the land belongs to South Korea and is only temporarily provided for U.S. use. Trump’s suggestion of “ownership” breaks away from decades of military tradition between the two allies and fits into his Land for America vision.
Longstanding Alliance And Trump’s Land For America Push
The U.S. and South Korea share a deep military alliance dating back to the Korean War. The “Mutual Defense Treaty Between the United States and the Republic of Korea” was signed in 1953. Under this agreement, the U.S. keeps about 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea to help defend it in case of an attack, mainly from North Korea.
Over the years, both countries have updated their defense arrangements to reflect new regional challenges. One such arrangement is the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), which determines how much South Korea contributes to the cost of hosting U.S. troops.
South Korea currently covers expenses such as labor costs for Korean staff, construction of military facilities, and logistical support. In 2021, it agreed to pay 1.18 trillion won (about $1.03 billion) for these costs. This represented a 13.9% increase from the previous year.
Last year, under President Biden, the two countries reached a tentative new deal. South Korea would raise its contribution by 8.3% in the first year, paying $1.125 billion. The agreement also capped further annual increases at 5%. However, the Trump administration is now reportedly pushing for more changes, including Seoul spending up to 5% of its GDP on defense, far higher than the current 2.8%.
Trump’s statements about Land for America add a fresh layer of complexity to these negotiations. The idea of demanding permanent ownership of South Korean land contrasts with the current system, where leased land is eventually returned to South Korea.
South Korea appears ready to increase spending to about 3.5% but is resisting any perception of being forced into decisions that challenge its sovereignty. The addition of a Land for America demand makes this even more sensitive.
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Strategic Flexibility And Regional Concerns
Another sensitive issue in the alliance is “strategic flexibility.” The U.S. military in South Korea could carry out operations outside the Korean Peninsula, including in the Taiwan Strait if tensions with China escalate.
Washington sees this as necessary because the defense treaty does not limit threats to only North Korea. U.S. leaders argue that allies like South Korea must contribute to wider regional security, especially against China.
Many South Koreans worry about this shift. They view China as their biggest trading partner and fear that any involvement in Taiwan could strain economic and political ties with Beijing. South Korean leaders also fear that if U.S. forces leave their territory for operations elsewhere, North Korea might seize the opportunity to provoke or even attack.
The U.S. and South Korea jointly operate a Combined Forces Command (CFC), which they established in 1978. They integrate more than 600,000 active-duty personnel from both nations under this structure. In wartime, millions of South Korean reservists and additional U.S. troops would join the fight. A U.S. general leads the CFC, while a South Korean general serves as deputy. Together, they ensure joint planning, training, and exercises.
Some voices in South Korea have demanded a revision of this arrangement so that a South Korean commander regains wartime command. They worry that U.S. command could drag South Korea into conflicts it wants to avoid.
Trump’s Call for Base Ownership Shifts Focus
Despite these concerns, President Lee Jae Myung publicly emphasized South Korea’s commitment to strengthening the alliance. Speaking in Washington, he announced that Seoul would increase its defense budget to build a more advanced and modern military. He described the alliance with the U.S. as “reciprocal and forward-looking.”
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Trump, however, sparked unease with his blunt demand about land ownership. “They would say, ‘but we gave you land.’ I said, ‘No, you didn’t. You lease us land. There’s a big difference between giving and leasing,’” he told reporters. Referring to one of the bases, he added, “Maybe one of the things I’d like to do is ask them to give us ownership of the land where we have the big fort.”
His unexpected remark directly linked to his Land for America agenda, and it marked a sharp departure from the usual practice where U.S. forces return the leased land once they no longer need it. The new focus on Land for America has added uncertainty to already complex defense cost-sharing talks, showing once again how Trump’s unconventional style changes the tone of traditional diplomacy.
