South Korea expects ‘win-win’ outcome in trade talks with US

South Korean acting President Han Duck-soo said Tuesday he expects this week's high-level trade talks with the United States to produce a mutually beneficial and "win-win" outcome, as Seoul hopes for a deal over U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, Yonhap news agency reports. 

Han made the remark during a Cabinet meeting, as Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok and Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun were set to head to Washington for their first round of negotiations with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Thursday.

"The upcoming meeting, which comes at the request of the U.S. side in consideration of the importance of the trade relationship with South Korea, is expected to open the door to win-win solutions based on candid dialogue and cooperation," Han said, according to Yonhap.

South Korea is among the first countries to hold trade negotiations with Washington following the Trump administration's implementation of "reciprocal" tariffs on all its major trading partners.

Export-dependent South Korea was hit with a 25 percent tariffs, temporarily lowered to 10 percent for a 90-day period.