South Korea's Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun said on Saturday that Seoul plans to approach trade talks with the United States "calmly and cautiously."

South Korean and Japanese officials are putting on their politest smiles and heading to Washington. Akazawa Ryosei, the minister leading negotiations for Japan, visited the White House on April 16th and donned a MAGA hat.

During a meeting on Thursday between Bessent, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, South Korean Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok and South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun, the officials agreed to "further productive discussions, including on currency policy," the Treasury said in a separate statement.