New S. Korea Trade Minister May Help Ease U.S. Friction
President Roh Tae-woo’s appointment today of American-educated Lee Bong-suh as Trade and Industry minister is seen as an effort to mend trade frictions between Seoul and Washington.
The appointment was the only economic post changed in a Cabinet shake-up that included the naming of a new prime minister and foreign minister.
The new Trade minister is considered knowledgeable in U.S. affairs, having studied at American universities and worked in Washington. Observers hope he will be able to heal animosities between the two longtime allies on trade matters.
The United States is South Korea’s largest trading partner. Washington has pressured Seoul to open its markets wider to foreign goods and farm products.
Lee, 54, is a 1959 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and received a doctorate in economics from Harvard in 1965. He worked in Washington during the 1960s for the U.S. Federal Reserve and the World Bank.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
