Washington, Oct 25 – The United States is pressing to close a trade agreement with South Korea, a senior U.S. official said, as the two nations work through details of Korea’s $350 billion investment pledge under the framework deal.
The remark came during an online press briefing on Friday, amid doubts over whether Seoul and Washington can settle the deal before or during the upcoming summit between Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump will arrive in Seoul on Wednesday for a two‑day state visit, then head to Gyeongju for the Asia‑Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on Oct 31–Nov 1, Yonhap reported.
“We’re very eager to lock in a deal as soon as Seoul is ready to take the commitments we consider appropriate,” the U.S. official said.
The comment reaffirmed the Trump administration’s interest in cooperation on shipbuilding. “We welcome Korea’s know‑how, capital and overall collaboration to help revive America’s manufacturing, defense, shipbuilding and submarine sectors,” the official added.
South‑Korea and the United States struck their trade deal in late July. Seoul committed to a $350 billion investment in U.S. companies, while Washington agreed to cut the tariff on Korean autos from 25 % to 15 %.
The deal has yet to take effect because the parties are still negotiating key sticking points, especially on how Korea will finance the investment.
In recent weeks, Seoul’s senior officials, including presidential chief of staff Kim Yong‑beom, Finance Minister Koo Yun‑cheol and Industry Minister Kim Jung‑kwan, have been in Washington multiple times to push for a quick resolution.
The next step will be a record‑setting visit by President Trump to Seoul, after which both sides will evaluate whether the trade agreement can move forward before the APEC summit.
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Source: ianslive
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