South Korea has held a second round of talks with the United States on sharing the costs of stationing US forces in the country. South Korean media say Seoul may be seeking an early deal in the event that former US President Donald Trump wins the November election.
Officials from both sides met in Seoul for three days through Thursday to discuss a new agreement from 2026 after the current deal expires.
They exchanged views on how much of the cost South Korea should shoulder and how the amount should be calculated.
The two countries renew the cost-sharing agreement every several years to keep US forces stationed in South Korea to deter a contingency on the Korean Peninsula.
The first round of the talks took place in the US in April.
South Korean media outlets are reporting that the negotiations have been held at an unusually early date as the current deal will not expire for over one and a half years.
The talks were deadlocked in the past because the Trump administration demanded a large increase in Seoul's burden. The two sides reached an agreement after President Joe Biden took office.