By Kim Bo-eun
The second round of talks between Seoul and Washington to renew the cost-sharing deal on hosting U.S. troops here began Wednesday on Jeju Island.
The meeting, led by South Korea's chief negotiator Chang Won-sam and his U.S. counterpart Timothy Betts, will continue through Thursday.
The bilateral deal covering the cost of 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea is referred to as the Special Measures Agreement (SMA).
It was first signed in 1991, and has been renewed nine times _ every two to five years. The last renewal covering 2014 to 2018 expires at the end of this year.
South Korea agreed to pay 960 billion won ($887.5 million) this year. This covers costs for hiring South Korean staff at U.S. military bases, as well as constructing military facilities and purchasing, managing and transporting equipment.
The first session of talks took place last month in Hawaii.
The U.S. may bring up the issue of South Korea covering costs of maintaining the THAAD battery or deploying strategic assets. U.S. President Donald Trump has called for South Korea to pay for the THAAD system.
South Korea is likely to propose a revision to the payment system. Under the status quo, the agreement fixes the total amount South Korea is to pay.
South Korea may propose the system be revised so it provides payments for expenditures that have occurred as a means to boost transparency.
The costs South Korea has been shouldering have continued to grow since 1991, when it paid 150 billion won.
Attention is growing over how much the costs will be increased under the negotiations for the upcoming renewal, as Trump has mentioned South Korea should pay more for the U.S. forces' presence here.