The U.S. State Department confirmed Wednesday that South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently discussed the COVID-19 outbreak and the defense cost-sharing talks.

During the phone talks held on the previous day, Pompeo thanked Kang for Seoul's close cooperation on COVID-19 and reaffirmed that the alliance will remain firm.

However, an official from Seoul's Foreign Ministry stated there was no conclusion regarding defense cost-sharing as the two diplomats only agreed that they will continue working to reach a consensus.

President Donald Trump rejected Seoul's offer to raise its contribution by at least 13 percent from the previous year, saying the country should pay more for its own defense. 

Marc Knapper, deputy assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan, also said on Tuesday that Washington expects Seoul to show flexibility.