Limited reporting this morning about the first day's negotiations in Columbia, Maryland. Here's a short story from Jung Seung-hyun and the JoongAng Daily: Outcome still uncertain on FTA talks with U.S..
The story suggests that the U.S. didn't introduce new issues ("nothing has changed and the same matters are being discussed"), that the U.S. focus the first day was on autos ("the issue of revising limits on U.S. beef imports had not been raised in the talks"), and that the U.S. won't get something for nothing ("the current negotiations involved a “package deal,” suggesting that Korea would seek unspecified concessions from the U.S. in return for revising the auto standards.").
The Koreans are not averse to extending the negotiations a day or so if necessary. Follow up negotiations would occur in Korea.
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