The Money, the Date:

There is still no public word on whether Washington and Seoul have settled their differences over transfer of wartime control of forces in South Korea. US officials have stated that South Korea should pay more toward defense of the peninsula, but at a press session at the Pentagon Friday Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-Ung indicated Seoul is paying enough. He said: “Korea has been contributing to the defense costs since the beginning of 1990s, and our contribution towards the defense costs has been on a steady upwardly curve with the exception of this year and last year. And so in consideration of these views, I hope that the negotiations will come to a smooth conclusion this year. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld did not comment on the money issue but noted again that Washington wanted a transfer in 2009, while Seoul still is set on 2012.