ⓒYONHAP News

U.S. Forces Korea(USFK) said on Wednesday that it has begun sending a 60-day notice of potential furloughs to its South Korean employees, citing the 2019 Special Measures Agreement(SMA) lapse and the continued absence of a subsequent deal.

In a press release, USFK said the advance notice of the furlough that would start on April first comes in line with U.S. law, adding that provided its nearly nine-thousand South Korean workers with a six-month notice last October.

The latest move comes as Seoul and Washington have yet to narrow differences in their defense cost-sharing negotiations. The renewal deadline passed on December 31, 2019, when the previous deal expired.

Seoul argues that its share of the upkeep for stationing American troops on the Korean Peninsula should be set within the framework of the decades-old SMA, which covers wages for Korean employees and expenditures for military construction and logistical support.

Washington reportedly is demanding a fivefold increase in Seoul's share from 870 million dollars last year to five billion dollars for this year. This includes expanding the scope of the deal to include costs related to the allies' joint military exercises, additional pay for U.S. troops and support for their families.