US Treasury "Trade Talks with Korea Scheduled for Next Week... Will Proceed Quickly"

Bessent "Talks with Japan on the 16th"

WSJ "US Prioritizes Talks with 5 Countries Including Korea and Japan"

Scott Bessent, the Treasury Secretary leading the Trump administration's trade negotiations, announced on the 14th (local time) that "trade talks with Korea are scheduled for next week."

In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Secretary Bessent stated, "Last week we had talks with Vietnam, on Wednesday (16th) with Japan, and next week with Korea," adding that "the talks will proceed quickly."

Previously, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) also reported, citing sources, that the US government is prioritizing negotiations with five countries, including Korea, the UK, Australia, India, and Japan.

According to the report, Secretary Bessent mentioned that these five countries are included in his top targets, and he has been in contact with officials from each country.

The WSJ reported that Secretary Bessent, after becoming a key trade advisor to President Donald Trump and leading US trade negotiations, has been moving quickly to engage in talks with countries subject to reciprocal tariffs.

On the 9th, Secretary Bessent announced at the American Bankers Association (ABA) event that he would lead trade negotiations, and on the same day, following President Trump's decision to defer reciprocal tariffs, he explained the details to reporters at the White House, taking the lead on trade issues.

Park Surim, Hankyung.com reporter paksr365@hankyung.com