Trump answering questions from the press on Air Force One during his Asia tour. AP Yonhap News. 

U.S. President Donald Trump said on October 24 (local time) that a tariff and trade deal with South Korea is "being finalized."

According to the White House press corps on October 25, President Trump responded to a question asking if he expected to finalize tariff negotiations with South Korea during his visit to Asia, including Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, while speaking with reporters on Air Force One the previous day. He stated, "If they have it ready, I'm ready," adding.

This follows a statement made by a senior U.S. administration official the previous day during a press briefing regarding the Asia tour. The official stated, "We are very eager to conclude an agreement with South Korea as soon as possible. We want to do it as soon as possible, as soon as South Korea is willing to accept the terms that we deem appropriate."

It has already been revealed by Kim Yong-beom, Presidential Secretary for Policy, and Kim Jeong-kwan, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, who recently visited the United States and continued negotiations with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, that negotiations for the finalization of the agreement between the two countries are in the final stages, with only one or two issues remaining.

Combining the remarks of the senior U.S. official and President Trump's comments this time, it appears to suggest that a deal can be reached immediately if South Korea accepts the conditions requested by the U.S.

Currently, both South Korea and the U.S. are in a tug-of-war over the composition and implementation plan of the $350 billion (approximately 500 trillion won) investment package by South Korea to the U.S., which was promised when a broad trade agreement was reached at the end of July.

Yonhap News