US, SOUTH KOREA FINALIZE TRADE DEAL AFTER MONTHS OF TALKS

The United States and South Korea have finally concluded a long-delayed trade agreement after months of intense negotiations that tested diplomatic trust and economic priorities on both sides.

- AGENCIES

U.S. President Donald Trump walks with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung during a ceremony in Gyeongju South Korea.

The deal was announced on Wednesday during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, where US. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met for a bilateral dinner that doubled as a platform for the breakthrough.

Trump first hinted at the development during a brief interaction with reporters. Shaking hands with Lee at the event, he declared, “We did reach a deal on trade,” though he refrained from sharing specifics at that moment. Later in the evening, he went further, calling his discussions with the South Korean delegation “tremendous” and saying he had “pretty much finalized a trade deal,” signalling the completion of a major geopolitical and economic goal for his administration.