U.S. Forces Korea(USFK) sent a 30-day notice of potential furlough to its nearly nine-thousand South Korean employees, in an apparent move to further pressure Seoul to pay more for American troops on the Korean Peninsula.

In a press release on Friday, USFK said due to the continued absence of a renewed Special Measures Agreement(SMA), it began notifying South Korean employees that a furlough could start effective April 1.

USFK previously issued a 60-day notice in line with U.S. law in late January, preceded by a six-month notice last October.

The U.S. Department of Defense earlier said it will fund the salaries of key Korean workers who work in life, health, safety and other readiness services.

But as it remains unclear who will be subject to the potential furlough, USFK sent the notice to all its Korean employees.

Seoul and Washington have yet to iron out differences in their cost-sharing negotiations, even after their previous SMA expired on December 31, 2019.

Seoul argues that its contribution should be set within the framework of the decades-old agreement, such as covering salaries of Korean workers. However, Washington is demanding the inclusion of expenditures for the allies' joint military exercises, additional pay for U.S. troops and support for their families.