The Mexican government said it plans to sign a free trade deal with South Korea within the year.

According to the EFE news agency, in a press conference Thursday, the country's economy minister Tatiana Clouthier conveyed Mexico's intent to sign a free trade agreement with four countries this year including South Korea, the UK, Brazil and Ecuador.

The minister said, though a date can't yet be set, the government is working hard to conclude the four FTAs by this year.

Korea and Mexico launched free trade talks back in 2006 to ink a Strategic Economic Cooperation Agreement, a precursor to an FTA. But the talks were suspended in 2008 due to protests from Mexican industries. Negotiations resumed in 2016 but little progress was made since. 

President Moon Jae-in also expressed hope for a free trade deal in exchanging letters recently with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Moon said in the letter that a bilateral FTA would support a post-pandemic economic recovery.