South Korean official: Trade framework agreement with the United States may be reached before August

Planet Daily News: South Korea's top trade envoy said on Monday that it is possible to reach a "principled" trade agreement with the United States before the August 1 deadline, and hinted that South Korea might be open to expanding agricultural market access. Yoo Han-koo, director general of trade negotiations at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, stated that South Korea is seeking to avoid "unfair" tariffs on key industrial sectors that would disrupt industrial cooperation with its primary security ally and trade partner. "I believe it is possible to reach a principled agreement in the US tariff negotiations, and then spend some time on further negotiations," Yoo said. "20 days is not enough to draft a perfect treaty with all details." "We need to make strategic judgments about agriculture and livestock," Yoo said, noting that "sensitive" areas might need continued protection, but some aspects could be viewed as part of the overall framework. (Jin Shi)