Moon Chung-in, a special foreign affairs and security adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, said he has turned down an ambassador position, according to a South Korean press report. EPA/YONHAP SOUTH KOREA OUT
Aug. 7 (UPI) -- A top adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in has turned down an offer to be Seoul's ambassador to Washington, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said Seoul should pay more money to the United States for keeping troops on the peninsula.
Moon Chung-in, the outspoken presidential aide and academic who caused a stir following statements he made to The Atlantic in 2018 regarding the U.S.-South Korea alliance, told local news service News 1 he has declined the offer.
The statement from Moon Chung-in comes after weeks of speculation the presidential Blue House may have contacted him regarding the ambassadorship. In July, the top adviser denied communication had taken place, according to News 1.
He was expected to be publicly confirmed to the position amid a wider cabinet reshuffle among seven South Korean government agencies, but he reportedly withdrew his name on Thursday.
Current Ambassador Cho Yoon-je is expected to continue to serve his term in Washington, while South Korea's top diplomats to Beijing, Moscow and Tokyo are to be rotated out, according to News 1.
Moon Chung-in made headlines last year when he was quoted as saying alliances in general are a "very unnatural state of international relations." He later retracted the statement.
South Korea shares the cost of keeping U.S. troops on the peninsula, but the Trump administration continues to call for renegotiating the Special Measures Agreement.
The most recent round of negotiations in 2019 concluded in February when South Korea agreed to raise its contribution by 8.2 percent and pay $915 million.
In a tweet Wednesday, Trump said Seoul pays $990 million and that "talks have begun to further increase payments to the United States."
South Korea could be paying more, however.
Local television network MBC reported Thursday Seoul could be paying as much as $4.1 billion annually to service U.S. troops. South Korea built roads for the U.S. military base in Pyeongtaek, leases land for free to the U.S. military and exempts troops from taxes, according to the report.
South Korea also pays for U.S. military laundry costs and garbage disposal, although similar costs are covered by the United States for troops in Japan, according to the report.
