[Newbomb Turk]

South Korea should foot 100% of our cost to keep them safe from North Korea.

We have supported them long enough and they are productive and can afford it.

Police forces get paid. If were the worlds police we need to bill for services rendered.

[driftdiver]

They actualy do pay the full cost.

[JerseyanExile]

They actually do. The US doesn't send any military aid money to South Korea - instead, they pay America quite a bit in order to cover the cost of US bases and troops in their nation.

And it isn't like they're not bothering to maintain their own military. South Korea has a population of only 50 million, but they have a well equipped standing army of over 500,000 men, with another 3 million in the reserves. To put that into context, the US (population 315 million) has an army of roughly 550,000, with another 560,000 in reserve (note, those numbers are pre-sequester, so the Army is going to get smaller in the upcoming years). They also have a large airforce with over 450 frontline combat aircraft (more than Japan, Israel, France or Britain) and a surprisingly substantial and modern navy, considering the fact that they're a predominantly land-based power - 1 helicopter-carrier, 12 destroyers, 13 diesel-electric attack submarines, and 31 frigates.