WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer held a productive meeting with his South Korean counterpart on Friday in which they agreed on the importance of making swift progress toward reciprocal and balanced trade, his office said in a statement.

The U.S. and South Korea had a "very successful" meeting on Thursday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, as the two countries opened trade talks with Seoul seeking a path to diminish the stiff tariffs President Donald Trump is angling to impose.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. and South Korea held bilateral trade discussions today and they may be able to come to an "agreement of understanding" on trade as early as next week. "We may be moving faster than I thought,