A senior U.S. official said there is a "desire for trusted networks" and "to expand fifth-generation(5G) connectivity," adding that Seoul and Washington will discuss cooperation in the network sector during economic talks on Friday.

Jose Fernandez, the under secretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment, made the remarks while speaking to reporters at the opening of a bilateral economic forum in Seoul on Thursday.

Fernandez said the U.S. is talking to several countries interested in establishing 5G networks, and that there will likely be opportunities for South Korean companies.

While 5G and future sixth-generation(6G) telecommunications technology are at the core of the Sino-U.S. rivalry, Washington suspects Beijing utilizes such technology for economic espionage.

The U.S. official said the allies' upcoming sixth Senior Economic Dialogue(SED) will also focus on supply chain resiliency, the digital economy, and cooperation in infrastructure, health care, energy and climate change.

At Thursday's forum, Second Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-moon said Seoul and Washington are seeking to enhance cooperation in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence(AI) and quantum technology.