US, South Korea To Begin Trade Discussions

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and South Korean Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong will begin the talks with a videoconference meeting on Tuesday.

U.S. and South Korean officials this week will begin preliminary discussions on potential changes to the trade agreement between the two nations.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and South Korean Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong will begin the talks with a videoconference meeting on Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported. South Korea's trade ministry said senior-level discussions in Seoul would follow the initial meeting.

President Donald Trump long criticized many of the nation's trade agreements, including the five-year-old pact with South Korea knowns as Korus FTA. South Korea, however, considers the deal to be "mutually beneficial" and called for objective examinations of the agreement before any attempts to make changes.

Analysts in that country believe that the U.S. may seek only minor tweaks in an effort to avoid disputes with industries helped by the current agreement.

The Journal also noted that the administration is currently focused on the talks to alter the North American Free Trade Agreement between the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

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