The cost of US protection: South Korea and Japan face defence payment squeeze • FRANCE 24 English

50 comments

1. A defense treaty with the EU? Considering the distance between Europe and Japan, I wonder how effective that can actually be.

2. France doesn’t want the European continent to be dependent on American defense.
   France wants the continent dependent on French defense.

3. Very expensive. At the end they can threat you, like Canada and Greenland

4. If not for the USA, South Korea would be exactly like North Korea. South Korea owes a tremendous amount to the US for the 70 years of prosperity.

5. I think we could have an agreement that the roles of the US military forces deployed in South Korea should be changed. Because South Korea is no longer a weak country, and now we have enough military power to defend ourselves. So if Donald Trump really wants to pull out the US troops from South Korea to reduce the cost. There are no other choices but moving the US Army to where they think best for them. Then, South Korea could invest more money to strengthen the defense industry and fill the void with homegrown weapons, including nuclear weapons. It is a kind of a win-win game for both of us. Because US military can more focus on Taiwan issue and save a lot of money that has been spent in South Korea. Even if US military forces leave Korean peninsular. South Korea will remain as a best friend of US as always. There is no doubt about that. It's my own opinion as a person who worked with US soldiers for more than two years in South Korea.

6. Thats a colony not an ally

7. What's funny is that western media refers to American colonization as "Protection" 😂

8. The mob boss demand his underlings pay monthly tribute , or else.

9. a lot of experts here not considering the businesses that these countries are providing to the US. colony? dog? these uneducated and ill-informed comments.

10. If the u.s was NOT in South korea, North korean would have attacked them again by now for sure. I wish there was a way to prove that without actually having to leave where people would die from it. They sure would remember then, though

11. If American economy fails, American ideology follows. One may want to think what the world be without American ideology.

12. BRING OUR TROOPS HOME!!

13. Korea can develop its own nuclear weapons.

14. Both Europe and Japan & Korea wouldn't have any enemy to begin with if Americans aren't there.

15. At least Korea and japan are not freeloader 😂

16. France freeloader in NATO😂

17. Manila become the next US colony

18. North Korea keeps a million missiles pointed toward Seoul ready to annihilate it at any moment and China would let them do it. China has a none stop Nationalist propaganda against Japan in it medias and would attack them if they weren't obsessed with Taiwan. The people questioning the amount paid have no idea what it cost to maintain an army ready to fight a superpower. Just for comparison, South Korea's army budget is $45-48B, Japan's defense budget is $55 Billion; North Korea's defense budget is $1.6 to $2B ; China defense budget is $246 Billion.

19. $53 BILLION for Defense for 2025 on Japan with a treaty with the EU, notice how it's not America anymore. There have been too much instability with American politics to rely on American anymore. Which sucks, because we do it to ourselves. Japan is able to do defense, not because of WW2, but they chose not to rebuild their defense because of the US-Japan treaty. But with the tariffs, and US bases in Japan causing more harm than good (too much rape victims from US soldiers to Japanese women, ie the same goes in S. Korea and in the Philippines), Japan is a super power first world nation, that it now wants America out, most probably by 2027. One of the reasons why the Okinawa US Base, is all moving out of there, and going to US territories in the Pacific as Guam and the CNMI. One of the things we could leverage for better tariffs of each country was selling our defense, but now since really the world doesn't need it, at least first world nations like Japan, Europe, Canada, etc. what the hell can we offer other countries besides our economy to leverage. S. Korea needs American bases though, just to protect themselves from N. Korea. But S. Korea should have their own nuclear defense, they are a first world nation.

20. How dare America not continue protecting us for free? This is colonialism!

21. Ah yes the propaganda F24 keeps talking about China like some threat but white countries have historically always been the invader.

22. WAR IS A VERY BIG BUSINESS

23. South Korea should have simply made it's own nukes after NK got them rather than relying on the US. I mean, they deserve self-defense at all cost

24. Pacifists are idiots. Do they really think other countries will just leaving them alone if they disarm. Especially if they're a rich country. Do they leave their doors open at night?

25. That what you get when you call the enemy a friend 😢

26. The EU has decided to provide sandwiches to the defense effort…lol

27. What will the US do when South Koreans are gone? North Korea will not pay.

28. Huh? Since when was Russia or China a threat to South Korea?

29. Japan & South Korea are US colonies. If there is a war with either country, it is clear that the US will intervene.

30. Don't wanna pay? That's cool.

    🎶 bye bye bye

31. If the Korean peninsula unites under Seoul, then Korea doesn't need any protection from anyone, and there will be peace in Korea. Korea was supposed to unite after the Korean war after some time.

32. Sounds like a mafia

33. It’s Mafia land , you pay and you get protection.

34. U.S. UK Canada South Korea Japan Guam Philippines Taiwan Thailand even Cambodia Singapore Indonesia Malaysia Mongolia Kazakhstan Bhutan with some free peoples in Laos Vietnam China Myanmar continue to set freedom for the world to recognize what’s good and not evil keep continuing my good peoples and friends!

35. 1 billion dollars a year for the insurance if the American military? Seems like a good deal tbh

36. Lol China and India will not let the US take control of Asia 😂😂😂😂 what are they going to do ? Go to war ? Haha

37. and slowly becoming extortion… 😂😂

38. disarmament of south korea is the dumbest thing ive ever heard. you have a hostile nation on your northern border hell bent on destroying you and you advocate for disarmament?????

    what??? without that deterrence your country will be taken over in a week. that is ridiculous

39. Come on America is going thru a tuff time and when we ask for a lil pay raise to help us out everyone is outraged we helped you for decades

40. When is the dumb Korean Government gonna realize that the US is the destabilizing factor on the peninsula.

41. Please read about unit 731

42. U.S. has two Ds Debt n Deficit. Going to get Fs in the foreseeable future.
    $37 trillion in debt. Think it about for a minute. Take care of your household first. Friends 2nd.

43. Nothing wrong with the US wanting the best for their own people, it's just how the world works. You guys would do the same to us in our position. Nobody is special, we just happen to be the strongest so the weak must bend. You find this even in school where the bullies pick on the weak. If it's so wrong, why has it happened for generations? I agree that destabilization in the East is due to our interests, but I ask again, what is so wrong about wanting the best for our own people? You think we want to build hundreds of military bases to protect these asian counties? I truly doubt it as it's most likely to keep one certain country from gaining too much power to threaten our position in the world.

44. Great subscription deal of #1 Military power in the world. More countries need that. 😂

45. As an American citizen I would LOVE for us to pull out of other countries and significantly lower our military so we can afford healthcare, education, etc.

    And we should strengthen our own ties with Canada our oldest most reliable friends. And strengthen the relationships with all of South America. Why worry about the rest of the people across the ocean? Let them do whatever when a foreign belligerent force occupies them.

46. Who would even invade them? North Korea has problems of its own to start anything. China is only interested in taking Taiwan, and even that, they most likely won’t pursue a military course of action.

    On top of that, South Korea has one of the highest shipbuilding capabilities in the world, and Japan’s defense force is extremely capable (top 5 in the world). They can handle themselves.

    They should honestly ditch US and befriend China to form an invincible trio lol. A few awkward apologies need to be made first though.

47. Is it protection or placement? South Korea can easily develop nuclear weapons and become self sufficiently protective of itself.

48. US is what protecting south from north

49. Who knew that being enslaved to AIPAC would cost so much?

50. What a easy way to milk both weak country .

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