SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea's Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo will leave for the United States on Friday for tariff talks, just days ahead of the July 9 deadline when U.S. tariffs could rise sharply. Yeo said he would consider requesting an extension of the reciprocal tariff pause, depending on the progress of negotiations with U.S. officials.

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 Korean President Lee Jae Myung says that it remains unclear whether Seoul and Washington can conclude their tariff negotiations by next week’s deadline set by President Donald Trump

Duties on imports from dozens of countries would jump if the 90-day pause imposed in April expires July 9 as scheduled.

U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration could start sending letters to trade partners as early as Friday, setting unilateral tariff rates ahead of the July 9 deadline for negotiations. “We’re probably going to be sending some letters out,