U.S. President Donald Trump raised eyebrows on Monday with an unusual bid for ownership of the South Korean land that hosts American bases, a proposal that, while highly unlikely to come to fruition, may signal a willingness to commit to a long-term military presence with implications for North Korea deterrence. 

During a summit with his South Korean counterpart Lee Jae-myung, Trump pushed for Seoul to transfer control of land allotted to U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), justifying his demands by citing American investment in ROK-based facilities.

“We spent a lot of money building a fort, and there was a contribution made