South Korea's Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo said on Friday that he might request an extension of the freeze on U.S. tariffs that is set to expire within days when he heads to Washington for talks with U.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Thursday that the country is working hard to strike a trade deal with the United States on impending tariffs but expressed uncertainty about when talks would be concluded.

South Koreas Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo is heading to the United States on Friday for high-stakes trade negotiations, just days before the July 9 deadline when steep U.S. tariffs could take effect. The visit comes