SEOUL, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Trade officials of South Korea and Japan will hold a meeting next week to discuss resuming negotiations for a two-way trade agreement, the South Korean foreign ministry said here on Friday.

The two-day working-level meeting beginning next Tuesday will involve discussions on establishing favorable conditions for restarting negotiations and ways to ensure mutual interests, according to the ministry.

The two Asian economic powerhouses held six rounds of official negotiations since late 2003, but talks were suspended the following year due to differences over the opening up of agricultural and fishery industries.

Separately, South Korea, Japan and China are poised to start negotiations for a trilateral free trade agreement.

May 25, 2012

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