Top Seoul officials head to Washington for follow-up tariff talks

Presidential Policy Chief Kim Yong-beom, left, and Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan, second from left, meet with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, right, at the Department of Commerce in Washington, Oct. 16, to discuss pending issues in Korea-U.S. tariff talks. Yonhap

SEOUL — Presidential chief of staff for policy Kim Yong-beom and Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan will depart for Washington this week for follow-up tariff negotiations with U.S. officials, officials said Tuesday.

The two officials are set to leave for the United States on Wednesday, just three days after returning from earlier trips during which they held talks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and other officials to finalize details of a $350 billion investment package agreed under a framework deal in July to reduce U.S. tariffs on Korean goods.

Upon his return Sunday, Kim Yong-beom said Seoul had made "substantive progress" on most pending issues in recent follow-up talks with Washington, though some matters still required further negotiation.

Their visit comes amid growing expectation that the two sides could strike a deal ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit to be held in Korea next week, where President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump are expected to meet.