Washington says trade talks with S. Korea scheduled for next week

A fresh round of tariff talks between Seoul and Washington is likely to take place next week as officials from the two governments seek common ground on trade.

Our Shin Se-byuck has more.

Trade negotiations between South Korea and the U.S. could take place next week.

That's according to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, on Monday during an interview with Bloomberg TV.

Bessent said that the U.S. held talks with Vietnam last week, with Japan scheduled for Wednesday, and South Korea penciled in for "next week," and added negotiations will proceed quickly.

The Wall Street Journal reported on 월요일 that the Trump administration is prioritizing negotiations with five countries, namely South Korea, the United Kingdom, Australia, India and Japan.

Meanwhile, Seoul's trade minister, Ahn Duk-geun, could visit the U.S. as early as next week for negotiations with Washington.

Acting President Han Duck-soo on Monday announced plans to dispatch a delegation to the U.S., led by the Trade Minister, to launch negotiations with Washington.

Minister Ahn previously visited the U.S. in February and March following the launch of the Trump administration to convey Seoul's stance on Washington's tariff plans.

One expert says South Korea should consider increasing imports from the U.S. to help narrow its trade surplus, a move that could serve as a bargaining chip in the talks.

"Seoul needs to increase its imports from the U.S. — such as energy, agricultural, and livestock products — to help narrow its trade surplus with Washington, so that, in turn, it can secure tariff reductions on crucial items like automobiles."

He also added that Seoul could ease non-tariff barriers on relatively low-volume goods, such as meat and produce, in exchange for concessions in sectors that account for a larger share of South Korean exports.

Shin Se-byuck, Arirang News.