South Korea and the United States are set to hold a fifth round of negotiations to renew their cost-sharing agreement for stationing American troops on the Korean Peninsula.

Seoul's Foreign Ministry revealed on Friday that the talks will take place in Seoul from next Tuesday to Wednesday. This comes just two weeks after their previous meeting in Washington.

The allies are aiming to strike a deal before the current Special Measures Agreement(SMA) expires on December 31. It is widely expected, however, that negotiations will continue through early next year amid differences U.S. calls for South Korea to pay significantly more.

Under this year's deal, Seoul agreed to contribute over 870 million dollars for the upkeep of U.S. Forces Korea, but Washington is reportedly demanding a fivefold increase to nearly five billion dollars for next year.

Seoul maintains any increase should be decided within the framework of the SMA.

An official from the ministry said the upcoming discussions will focus on strengthening the alliance and their joint defense posture. Seoul has apparently been highlighting its efforts toward furthering the alliance as a bargaining chip.

The government recently agreed to initially cover the cost of decontaminating four returned U.S. military bases and has also been considering options on a U.S.-led military campaign to defend maritime security in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz.