South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama will seek ways to move forward with the ratification of a free trade agreement (FTA) between their countries when they meet in Seoul for a bilateral summit later this month, Yonhap News Agency said, quoting an official from Cheong Wa Dae.

Obama is scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Nov. 18 following his participation in the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Singapore.

"We hope that President Obama will express a more aggressive position on the Korea-U.S. FTA and are working toward that end," Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye was quoted as saying.

"The heads of the two countries have repeatedly affirmed their efforts for the ratification of the FTA and they will again discuss ways to move forward the efforts at their upcoming summit," she added.

Seoul and Washington signed the trade deal over two years ago in June 2007, but the agreement still needs to be ratified by their respective legislatures.

The Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman said the mood was growing more favorable in the U.S. for an early ratification of the FTA, noting a letter sent by a group of 88 U.S. legislators last week to Obama to urge quick action from the U.S. administration.

However, she noted that the issue will unlikely be settled at the upcoming summit.
"There will not be a joint statement coming out from the summit this time. So their remarks from the summit or at a joint press conference will likely be the only means to carry their message," Kim said.