Korea does contribute a portion of funds used for KN salaries through Labor Cost Sharing as part of the Special Measures Agreement. That agreement won't be renegotiated for 5 years, so the funding levels are set. Even if at some future date LCS funds were reduced, it wouldn't affect salaries, although it could result in a RIF.

Korean salaries are set in accordance with DoD wage and benefit regulations for foriegn nationals. Essentially, the wages we pay must be in accordance with the prevailing practices of the Korean private sector. USFK conducts a full wage and benefit survey every 3 years for this purpose. By law, pay increases to FNs cannot exceed the greater of what US gov't employees or host nation gov't employees receive.

The next wage and benefit survey for KNs will be conducted next year. After the last survey, there was an 11% "pay lag" between USFK and private sector workers.

Comparing Japan and Korea is really apples and oranges anyway. In Japan, the USFJ employees work for the Japanese government. In Korea, the employees are "direct hires" by USFK.

I'll now turn the floor over to the usual suspects for the requisite bashing of USFK and/or our Korean hosts.

Only if the US contributes a smaller share to their salaries.