S. Korea’s trade minister to visit U.S. next week

Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo said Wednesday he plans to visit the United States next week to discuss bilateral commerce issues, as the government aims to prepare for uncertainties in the business environment ahead of the U.S. presidential election. Cheong told reporters that he plans to meet his U.S. counterpart, Katherine Tai, in Washington for discussions regarding the South Korea-U.S. Joint Committee on the bilateral free trade agreement. It will mark the trade minister's first visit to the U.S. since taking office in January. During his trip, Cheong aims to engage with officials from both the public and private sectors to facilitate discussions on potential shifts in the global business landscape, especially ahead of the upcoming U.S. presidential election. "The schedule will focus on gathering opinions on trade issues and other agendas significant to my role as trade minister, from experts and opinion leaders," Cheong said. The trade minister added that his office is preparing for "various scenario s," when asked about his view on the upcoming U.S. election. "We will kick off strategic meetings on global trade issues to prepare for situations after the November election in the U.S.," Cheong said. Source: Yonhap News Agency