A senior official at a U.S. think tank says the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement benefits both sides.

Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Washington D.C. Office and former acting deputy of the U.S. Trade Representative, presented the view on Wednesday during a forum held in southern Seoul to mark the fifth anniversary of the trade pact.

Cutler said the KORUS FTA coincides with "not only the interests of Korea but also of the U.S."

She explained the bilateral agreement was the most comprehensive trade deal the U.S. signed, adding it may not be a perfect FTA, but it certainly is one that has set an example for many countries.

Cutler added that the two nations saw their tight relations further solidify in the process of concluding the trade pact, in spite of sharp differences on economic issues.