The United States is no longer insisting on demanding the Republic of Korea (ROK) to pay five times what it currently pays for keeping American troops inland, the official U.S. negotiating team said Wednesday, according to Yonhap News Agency.

James DeHart, the top U.S. negotiator in Seoul, indicated that there could be alternative plans for the cost-sharing agreement as the U.S. now is "not focusing on" its original request of 5 billion U.S. dollars. 

He spoke after the two-day military spending talk between the U.S. and ROK, which closed on Wednesday with no deal signed.  

"I do want to say, very importantly, there have been some big figures that have been repeated many times in the Korean media, and those figures do not reflect where we are in our discussions with the ROK today," DeHart said in a press conference with Korean media, according to Yonhap.

"The figure will be different from our initial proposal. ... This (5 billion U.S. dollars) is not a number that we are currently focused on in the negotiations," he added.  

DeHart also said that the ROK's purchases of U.S. weapons were an "important consideration" in the negotiation, Yonhap reported. 

Concluding the results, the ROK's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that "the two sides are expanding the degree of mutual understanding through discussions despite differences in positions on various issues, and agreed to continue close consultations for a mutually acceptable agreement." 

Seoul agreed to spend about 870 million U.S. dollars to house 28,000 American troops under the current deal, the Special Measures Agreement (SMA).  

There have been several rounds of talks between Washington and Seoul as the year-end deadline approaches. Though no deal was signed to make the deadline, both sides have agreed on hosting new rounds of talks in January next year.  

DeHart also said there has been no instruction of possible actions of Washington pressuring the ROK on trade and troops withdrawal for bargaining when answering related questions.   

"We will be working very energetically in the New Year and January to try to get it done," DeHart said.