Fact check: Every single part of this Trump story about South Korea is wrong
CNN fact-checked claims made by Donald Trump regarding South Korea's financial contributions to the U.S. military presence. The report concludes that Trump's assertions about the history of these payments and the impact of the Biden administration are factually incorrect.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing tension between political rhetoric and verifiable historical data regarding international defense agreements.
President Donald Trump told a story about South Korea on Monday. Every single part of it is false. Trump has delivered versions of his fictional story before; CNN debunked one telling last year. The president delivered Monday’s version the day after he announced the US would reduce military exercises with South Korea – citing his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and also mentioning that South Korea declined to participate in the US war with Iran. The latest version of Trump’s tale, which you can watch in full here, went like this: South Korea “essentially” didn’t pay for the cost of the US military presence in the country before Trump first became president. Trump then got South Korea to unhappily agree to pay “$3 billion” in a year, with further increases the following year and the year after that.
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