Poll frontrunner suggests extending US tariff talks

South Korean presidential frontrunner Lee Jae-myung said yesterday the deadline to reach a deal with the US on President Donald Trump's trade tariffs needs to be reconsidered to find a mutually beneficial agreement between the two allies.

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Tariff negotiations with the United States will be one of the biggest challenges for the winner of the June 3 election, Mr Lee told a press conference.

The snap election was called after Yoon Suk-yeol was impeached as president and removed from office for briefly declaring martial law in December. Mr Lee, from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, is leading in opinion polls over conservative contestants.

Seoul and Washington have said they aim to craft a package on tariffs and economic cooperation by July 8. But the South Korean minister for trade and industry said recently that was not enough time and delays would be possible due to the election.