According to a report by the Global Times on October 19, Trump proposed in an interview that South Korea should pay more for the US troops stationed in its territory. He pointed out that if he is re-elected president, South Korea will need to pay up to $10 billion a year for the stationing of troops, and believes that South Korea will be happy to pay this fee because he regards South Korea as a "money-making machine."

This remark has triggered widespread discussion in South Korea. South Korea does not seem to have shown obvious opposition to Trump's request to increase military spending. However, Trump's statement that South Korea is a "money-making machine" has caused controversy in South Korea over translation. Different people have given a variety of different translation versions, including "automatic teller machine", "ATM machine", "printing machine", "cash flow source" and "money-making machine". Although these translations are different in wording, the core meaning they convey is that Trump intends to make South Korea pay more. In addition, some people translated this statement as "rich country", which reflects the self-esteem and vanity of some Koreans for their own national image.