US, Korea make headway on trade talks: report

South Korea's trade minister said some progress has been made in talks with the United States on a free trade deal that has been held up for three years by differences over beef and autos, Yonhap News Agency reported. "(We) also agreed to meet tomorrow," Kim Jong-hoon told reporters after finishing the late-evening session on a third straight day of talks in the United States.

Kim also cited the possibility that the talks would be extended again if they fail to strike a deal, according to Yonhap. Autos and beef are the top issues that US and Korean officials are striving to iron out in negotiations in Columbia, Maryland. However, Kim implied that the talks were focused on autos. "Beef was not discussed," the Yonhap quoted Kim as saying. The two countries signed a free trade agreement on June 30, 2007 but it has been stalled in the US. Congress because of opposition from the US. auto industry. South Korean barriers to US beef have also delayed action.