Seoul: A U.S. government shutdown that began earlier this month has not affected the pay or employment status of South Korean employees, the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) stated on Tuesday, ruling out the possibility of the issue affecting the wages of local workers.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the statement from USFK followed reports that some South Korean employees working for the U.S. Air Force stationed in South Korea did not receive wages for a three-day period, which was marked as furlough or unpaid leave. "The current U.S. government shutdown has not affected their pay or employment status, and we are actively working to resolve any discrepancies for those who received partial pay," a USFK official assured.

Korean employees working under the Special Measures Agreement are funded through a cost-sharing mechanism between the Republic of Korea and the United States. The official noted that the affected workers' wages for the period of October 1-3 went unpaid in their most recent stipend, covering the period from September 21 to October 4.

The source indicated that no advance notices or explanations were provided to the employees regarding the pay issue. Although the exact number of affected workers was not immediately available, the issue seems to have impacted the majority of employees at the Osan and Gunsan air bases.

A U.S. 7th Air Force official mentioned that the accounting office is currently investigating the cause of the incident but did not offer further details. The situation arises as the U.S. government officially shut down on October 1 for the first time since 2019, due to a lack of agreement in Congress over a short-term funding measure.

During the previous shutdown in 2019, no payment issues for South Korean employees were reported. Their wages are primarily funded by South Korea's share of defense spending, leading to speculation that the latest incident might be due to a technical glitch.