South Korea and the United States are set to launch a second round of negotiations to renew their defense cost-sharing agreement.

Chief negotiators from the two sides are scheduled to begin two days of discussions on Wednesday in Honolulu following dinner together the previous night.

During the first round of talks in Seoul last month, Washington reportedly demanded a dramatic increase in Seoul's contribution in the new Special Measures Agreement(SMA) set to take effect next year.

The Donald Trump administration has long demanded South Korea pay more for U.S. troop presence on the Korean Peninsula, with the State Department saying last Friday the burden is a responsibility that should be shared fairly with allies and partners who benefit from the U.S.' presence.

Before departing for Hawaii on Tuesday, Seoul's envoy Jeong Eun-bo vowed to ensure "reasonable and fair" financial contributions.

Under the current one-year SMA set to expire on December 31, Seoul agrees to pay one-point-04 trillion won this year, an increase of eight-point-two percent from 960 billion won last year.