Finance minister Hong Nam-ki has requested the U.S. treasury secretary to exclude Korean cars from possible tariffs on imported vehicles.
The two officials held talks on the sidelines of meetings of Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank governors in Washington D.C. on Saturday.
Hong told reporters after the meeting that he and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had discussed a range of issues including possible U.S. auto import tariffs and extending a waiver on South Korea's imports of Iranian oil.
Mnuchin reportedly said he understood Hong's request and hoped to be able to resolve such issues,... while also considering the possible impact on their bilateral trade relations.