The top trade negotiators of South Korea and the U.S. held their first face-to-face meeting in Washington on Wednesday to discuss the future of the bilateral free trade agreement(FTA).
 
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said that South Korean Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer held a meeting in Washington and discussed ways to "move forward," but did not elaborate on the details of the talks.
 
The ministry simply said that the two sides checked their positions regarding the trade deal in the meeting, noting the talks marked the first face-to-face meeting between the top negotiators of the two nations.
 
Kim, who is accompanying President Moon Jae-in for his trip to the U.S., is thought to have explained Seoul's position on Washington's calls for addressing the trade deficit, while stressing that the trade deal benefits both countries.