A senior government official said that negotiations to revise the free trade agreement(FTA) with the United States won't be all smooth sailing.

In a news conference Monday, Deputy Minister for Trade, Industry and Energy Kang Sung-chun said that follow-up talks to the first round of negotiations held earlier this month will open in Seoul at the end of this month or early February.

Kang said that South Korea has emphasized the importance of achieving a balance in interests but the U.S. maintains its basic stance of seeking a revision of the trade deal aimed at easing the bilateral trade imbalance.

Kang said he visited Washington last week and briefed U.S. government and congressional officials regarding South Korea's position on various trade concerns including the FTA amendment and import regulations.