S. Korea-U.S. to begin high-level trade talks in Washington

High-level trade talks between South Korea and the U.S. are set to begin in Washington this week.

South Korea's finance minister Choi Sang-mok is now there, and joining him is trade minister Ahn Duk-geun who says he's being mindful of all possibilities at the talks, considering how President Trump abruptly showed up at Japan's tariff talks with the U.S.

Our Kim Jung-sil reports.

South Korea's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Choi Sang-mok, has arrived in Washington, D.C. for trade talks with the U.S.

The discussions are set to begin at 8 a.m. local time on Thursday.

This marks the highest-level visit by a South Korean official since the start of the Trump administration's second term.

"We are here to initiate discussions that will further strengthen the ROK-U.S. alliance. I will share the results of our talks on Thursday."

Choi's visit comes amid rising trade tensions, with the U.S. imposing a 25% tariff on South Korean imports.

Minister Choi is joined by Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun, who will arrive on Wednesday to join the discussions with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

While the specifics of the meeting remain unclear, the talks are expected to address a broad range of issues, including the ongoing trade imbalance, potential non-tariff barriers like U.S. beef import restrictions, and even defense cost-sharing.

The Trump administration has been accelerating its trade efforts, with the White House announcing that the entire trade team is meeting with officials from 34 countries this week alone.

"We are moving at Trump speed to ensure these deals are made on behalf of the American worker and the American people."

Experts in Seoul advise South Korea to take a measured approach for a better long-term deal.

"We don't know if what Trump wants today it will be the same tomorrow—he may ask additional things in the near future. We want to make sure that if there is a deal, then it's a complete deal."

The expert also cautioned that the U.S. may be seeking a quick win for President Trump, which could lead to rushed decisions.

With so much on the line in these negotiations, the outcome of Thursday's talks is being closely watched.

Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News.