Former U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that South Korea would be paying $10 billion annually for the stationing of U.S. troops on the peninsula if he were still in office. Trump’s remarks come as South Korea and the U.S. concluded a defense cost-sharing agreement last week, and he criticized the Biden administration for reducing the financial demands on Seoul compared to what his administration had sought.

While the 2021 defense cost-sharing deal between the Biden and Moon Jae-in administrations still led to an increase in costs for South Korea — rising by nearly 14% in 2021 and increasing by 6.1% annually between 2022 and 2025 — Trump’s demands for $10 billion annually would push this financial burden far higher.