Next week, a '2+2' high-level meeting with the participation of the Ministers of Finance and Trade of South Korea and the United States will be held in Washington, D.C. The dates are reported to be likely on the 24th or 25th.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 20th that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok and Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-kun will hold a 2+2 South Korea-U.S. trade consultation with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bethune and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamison Greer next week in Washington.
The exact schedule has not been confirmed. The Ministry of Economy and Finance explained, "The current schedule and agenda are under final coordination."
This negotiation was realized following a proposal from the U.S. Deputy Prime Minister Choi was originally scheduled to visit the U.S. to attend the Group of Twenty (G20) finance ministers' meeting and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) annual meeting starting on April 22.
Minister Ahn appeared on KBS Sunday Diagnosis that morning and said regarding the South Korea-U.S. trade consultation, "Rather than hastily concluding negotiations, there are issues that need to be addressed, so both countries plan to continue discussions to resolve these mutually."
Minister Ahn stated, "We plan to make every effort to eliminate tariffs on key exports to the U.S., including automobiles and semiconductors, but some say we should use all our cards and settle everything this time, yet resolving everything at once will not resolve the situation, and so we will work to establish a strong industrial cooperation relationship."