South Korea and the United States agreed to craft a trade package aimed at removing new U.S. tariffs before the pause on reciprocal tariffs is lifted in July, Seoul's delegation in Washington said after a first round of trade talks.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was encouraged by "productive" early trade talks with Japan and South Korea this week, the Treasury said in a statement on Friday. In a readout issued a day after the bilateral meeting in Washington with Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato,

South Korea's Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said on Sunday that last week's talks with the United States on its sweeping tariff scheme helped ease uncertainties and opened the door for orderly consultations.