WASHINGTON (AP) — A new agreement with South Korea on sharing the cost of keeping American troops on the Korean Peninsula is early evidence that President Joe Biden is shifting the U.S. approach to alliances in Asia and beyond. Biden’s view is that alliances must be nurtured. President Donald Trump had demanded South Korea pay billions more to keep American troops on its soil. In his view, the United States was getting cheated by what he suggested were freeloaders masquerading as allies. Initially, Trump insisted the South Korean government pay five times as much as it previously had. Seoul refused and relations frayed.
Biden’s deal with Seoul points to a swift shift on alliances
