Trump Floats Seeking Ownership of U.S. Base Land in South Korea

President Donald Trump said he is considering asking South Korea to transfer ownership of the land on which a major U.S. military base sits, instead of continuing the current arrangement in which Washington pays what he described as “millions of dollars” in lease fees. Trump characterized the proposal as part of broader efforts to reduce the cost of maintaining American forces overseas. The United States has stationed tens of thousands of troops on the Korean Peninsula for decades under a mutual defense treaty, with Seoul typically providing the land while Washington funds construction and operating expenses. Any renegotiation of the land agreement would require talks with the South Korean government and could reopen broader discussions about burden-sharing within the alliance.