US Army mobile equipment sits in a field in Yeoncheon, the Republic of Korea, near the border with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on June 17, 2020. (AHN YOUNG-JOON / FILE / AP)

WASHINGTON - The United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) have reached an agreement on defense cost sharing with increased contribution from ROK, the US State Department said on Sunday.

"We are pleased that US and Republic of Korea negotiators have reached consensus on a proposed text of a Special Measures Agreement (SMA) that will strengthen our Alliance and our shared defense," a spokesperson said.

The proposed agreement contained "a negotiated meaningful increase in host nation support contributions from the Republic of Korea," a spokesperson for the US State Department said, without providing further details

The proposed agreement contained "a negotiated meaningful increase in host nation support contributions from the Republic of Korea," the spokesperson said, without providing further details.

The two sides are pursuing the final steps needed to conclude the agreement for signature and put it into force, according to the spokesperson.

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The deal must still be approved by ROK's legislature. ROK's Foreign Ministry confirmed an agreement in principle in a statement, but offered no specifics.

“Both sides will make a public announcement and hold a tentative signing ceremony after completing internal reporting procedures. The government will resolve to sign an agreement in a swift manner to resolve its vacuum that has lasted more than a year," the ministry added.

There are about 28,500 US troops stationed in ROK as deterrence against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). More than 90 percent of Seoul's contributions under the previous agreement went directly back into the ROK economy, the US State Department spokeswoman said.

The 10th SMA reached in March 2019 expired at the end of that year. The US and ROK held multiple rounds of negotiations on the 11th SMA, but the negotiations had been gridlocked after former US President Donald Trump rejected Seoul's offer to pay 13 percent more, for a total of about US$1 billion a year, and demanded as much as US$5 billion. Seoul currently pays Washington about US$920 million a year.

READ MORE: Temporary pact reached to fund S. Korean workers at US bases

After the last pact expired, some 4,000 ROK civilians working for the US military were placed on unpaid leave, prompting the two countries to scramble for a stopgap agreement to let them return to work.

Since 1991, ROK has shared the upkeep cost for US soldiers, including costs for ROK civilians hired by the US Forces Korea (USFK), construction of military installations, and logistics support.

Currently, about 28,500 US troops are stationed in ROK. 

Scaled-back military drills 

The combined forces of ROK and the United States kicked off their joint annual military exercises in a scaled-back manner amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Yonhap news agency reported Monday, citing ROK’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The Combined Command Post Training (CCPT), or the annually-held computer-simulated command post exercise in springtime, is scheduled to last until March 18.

No field maneuvers will be staged this year amid the continued pandemic. Tough anti-virus measures will be in place throughout the training period, an unnamed ROK military official was quoted as saying.

With Reuters inputs