Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Japan, Korea, and APEC Affairs Wendy Cutler and Mr. Choi Seok-young, Deputy Minister for Trade at Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT), held an informal meeting on September 23 on the margins of the APEC meetings held in Sendai, Japan. This informal meeting was requested by the United States to follow up on a recent telephone conversation between Ambassador Kirk and Korean Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon on the pending U.S.-Korea trade agreement.
The two officials exchanged views on the timing and venue of an upcoming Ministerial-level meeting on the trade agreement. The precise timing and venue will be decided through further consultations between the two sides.
Cutler and Choi also exchanged views on the overall state of play on the agreement in each country. Cutler explained the views collected from a wide range of U.S. stakeholders and also discussed how to prepare for the Ministerial meeting. Choi explained the views of Korean stakeholders.
