▲ Kim Yong-beom (2nd R), presidential chief of staff for policy, along with Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan, speaks to the press upon arrival at Dulles International Airport near Washington on Oct. 16, 2025. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Korean official-trade talks

(LEAD) Trade talks with U.S. proceeding in 'most earnest, constructive' atmosphere: Seoul official

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 3, 10-14)

By Song Sang-ho, Cho Joon-hyung and Park Sung-min

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (Yonhap) -- A top policy aide to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Thursday that Seoul and Washington are engaging in trade negotiations in the "most earnest and constructive" atmosphere to date, as they hash out details of Korea's US$350 billion investment commitment under a trade deal struck in July.

Kim Yong-beom, the presidential chief of staff for policy, made the remarks upon arrival at an airport near Washington, amid growing speculation that South Korea and the United States have inched closer to an agreement to finalize the specifics of the trade deal.

Kim, along with Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan, arrived in the U.S. as Seoul steps up efforts to expedite negotiations with the U.S. by sending top officials, including Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol, to Washington this week.

"Taking stock of how (the negotiations) have so far been, we are at a juncture when the two countries are engaging in negotiations in the most earnest and constructive atmosphere," Kim told reporters upon arrival at Dulles International Airport.

"(We) will do our utmost to ensure that negotiations will be wrapped up well in a direction that serves (Korea's) national interests," he added.

Asked to comment on U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's remarks on Wednesday that he expects an outcome from the negotiations within the next 10 days, the presidential official took them as an auspicious sign, saying, "Doesn't the U.S. appear to be likely to make many concessions then?"

"When the U.S. expects a result within 10 days, that apparently represents its interim assessment of the negotiations with us, and I read it as a sign that is not bad," he said. "We hope that the U.S. will reflect more of our position as much as it can."

Kim also reiterated Seoul's position that it would stick to its negotiation principles rather than rush to reach a deal.

Later in the day, Kim, Industry Minister Kim and Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo visited the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) at the White House, which oversees President Donald Trump's shipbuilding initiatives.

Though the OMB is not directly involved in the trade negotiations, the officials sought to listen to its view on shipbuilding cooperation, a key element of Korea's investment commitment.

"The OMB is a very crucial entity for the shipbuilding (cooperation) project," Kim told reporters before entering the White House. "(We are visiting the office) as we want to listen to what it has to say and share each other's view on shipbuilding industrial cooperation between our country and the U.S."

After the visit, Industry Minister Kim told reporters that the Seoul officials met OMB Director Russell Vought and held "constructive" talks on the "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again" project, an initiative South Korea has proposed to help rebuild the U.S. shipbuilding industry as part of the trade deal.

During his stay in Washington, Industry Minister Kim is expected to meet with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick during his stay in Washington, while Finance Minister Koo is likely to meet Bessent.

Seoul's key officials involved in the trade negotiations converged in Washington this week, adding to the hope that the two sides can make visible progress ahead of an expected summit between South Korean President Lee and Trump on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit set to begin late this month in Korea.

The two countries reached a framework trade deal in late July, under which Seoul has committed to investing $350 billion in the U.S., among other pledges, in return for Washington's agreement to lower its "reciprocal" tariff and sector-specific duty on South Korean autos to 15 percent from 25 percent.

But the deal has yet to go into force amid negotiations to bridge differences over a set of sticking points, including how to fund the investment package.

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