South Korea and the United States wrapped up two days of talks in Los Angeles on Wednesday to determine Seoul's portion of the cost for the upkeep of American troops on the Korean Peninsula.

According to diplomatic sources, the latest round of talks between South Korea's chief negotiator Jeong Eun-bo and his U.S. counterpart James DeHart could be extended until the South Korean delegation returns home late Thursday.

Going into the latest negotiations, Seoul had prepared for separate talks to resolve a potential furlough of South Korean employees of U.S. Forces Korea(USFK) starting next month, in the absence of a renewed Special Measures Agreement(SMA).

The U.S., however, opposed the idea, saying prioritizing the wage issue could distract from "expeditiously concluding a mutually acceptable and comprehensive SMA that addresses all facets of the agreement."

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

While Washington is reportedly demanding Seoul increase its contribution to about four billion dollars, Seoul is insisting on a roughly ten-percent increase from the 870 million dollars it paid under last year's agreement.