A South Korean delegation will meet U.S. counterparts on Thursday for an opening round of trade talks, with cooperation on shipbuilding and energy expected to be on the agenda, and possibly shared defence costs,

US Treasury chief Scott Bessent says talks are ‘moving faster than I thought’, and technical terms could be discussed as early as next week.

South Korea and the U.S. are working on a deal to remove new U.S. tariffs ahead of a July deadline. The two nations seek exemptions and have agreed to further discussions focused on tariffs, economic security,