Lee Jae-myung's aide meets U.S. officials, calls for more time for trade talks

Former National Security Office Deputy Director Kim Hyun-jong, a key foreign policy advisor to Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, met with senior Trump administration officials at the White House on Thursday.

Kim told reporters after the meeting that he conveyed Lee's position on the need for stronger trilateral cooperation between South Korea, the United States, and Japan.

He also raised the issue of tariffs, noting that the current mutual tariff exemption period is set to expire on July 9th and may require an extension to allow for a more comprehensive agreement.

According to Kim, U.S. officials responded positively.

It is considered unusual for a representative of a presidential candidate to engage in high-level discussions with U.S. officials in the lead-up to an election.