US and South Korea officials resumed talks on financing the costs of maintaining the US military amid public protests of “highway robbery” against sharply increased U.S. demands, Reuters reported. 

"Reports of Trump’s $5 billion demand earlier this month were greeted with shock in Seoul and on Monday, progressive groups protested at the negotiation venue against what they said was “highway robbery” by “greedy” Americans,” the source noted.

James DeHart, the chief US negotiator, told reporters there was a lot of work to do but sounded a note of optimism as he arrived in South Korea on Sunday.

“I’m very confident that we will reach an agreement that is mutually acceptable, that both sides can support, and that will ultimately strengthen our great alliance,” he said.

Earlier, South Korean lawmakers said US officials were demanding up to $ 5 billion a year, over five times more than 1.04 trillion won ($ 896 million) that Seoul agreed to pay this year.

South Korea “is a wealthy country and could and should pay more”, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said after his meeting with South Korea’s Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo last week.