The Trump administration reportedly wanted South Korea to increase its defense spending from two-point-six percent to three-point-eight percent of gross domestic product during bilateral tariff negotiations last year.

According to The Washington Post on Saturday, the United States also considered requesting South Korea to publicly support the deployment of American troops aimed at deterring both China and North Korea.

Citing internal U.S. government documents, the report highlighted instances in which Washington used tariffs as leverage to advance national security objectives during trade talks with various countries.

An early draft of the South Korea-U.S. tariff agreement allegedly included provisions for Seoul to boost defense spending, contribute more toward the cost of stationing U.S. forces and issue a statement endorsing greater operational flexibility for U.S. Forces Korea to counter China.

South Korea confirmed that defense-related issues were part of the negotiation agenda, though they were ultimately excluded from the final agreement.

However, speculation remains that these topics could resurface when President Lee Jae Myung meets with U.S. President Donald Trump for a summit in Washington later this month.