South Korean Army soldiers participate in a ceremony to mark the 71st anniversary of Armed Forces Day at the Air Force Base in Daegu, South Korea, Oct 1, 2019. (Photo: Jeon Heon-kyun/Pool via REUTERS)

WASHINGTON: When US Defense Secretary Mark Esper rang his South Korean counterpart this week, he pressed for a deal quickly on defence cost-sharing that President Donald Trump expects will translate into much higher contributions from Seoul.