Status of Forces Agreement

SOFA or Status of Forces Agreement is an agreement signed between the USA and South Korea in 1966. The SOFA gives the rules that govern and protect US personnel who are stationed in South Korea- a consequence of the treaty of mutual defence- signed in the aftermath of the Korean War (1950-53). According to SOFA’s article V, the US government is responsible for the maintenance costs of the stationed personnel while the Korean government bears other costs such as furnishing and compensating for rights of way. The two governments recently reviewed the cost sharing arrangement.