Top U.S. trade official stresses will for 'mutually beneficial' ties with S. Korea

Seoul (South Korea), November 21: A top U.S. trade official emphasized the United States' will Saturday to strengthen a "mutually beneficial" relationship with South Korea during a meeting with local entrepreneurs, a local business lobby said.
The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) said that U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai met with Korean business leaders in Seoul, as Seoul and Washington have sought to beef up cooperation on global supply chains, technologies and other issues amid an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry.
The meeting was co-hosted by the FKI, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul and the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea.
During the session, Tai highlighted the Joe Biden administration's will for stronger cooperation with South Korea and its vision for an Indo-Pacific economic framework related to cooperation on supply chain resiliency, digital economy, clean energy and other areas.
FKI chairman Huh Chang-soo said that the South Korea and the U.S. have demonstrated their "steely" alliance through cooperation over the last two years in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"At a time of great economic uncertainties caused by COVID-19, cooperation among the countries sharing values is more important," he was quoted as saying.
"The two countries should work together to foster a fair global business environment and create a synergic effect for world prosperity through cooperation in the cutting-edge industrial sector," he added.
Participants included executives from Samsung Electronics Co., Hyundai Mortor Co., LG Energy Solution Ltd. and Hanwha Solution Corp.
It is the first time in 11 years that the sitting USTR has visited South Korea. She arrived in Seoul on Thursday for a four-day visit.
Source: Yonhap