A U.S. embassy official in Seoul reports progress in rice market opening talks between South Korea and the U.S., hinting at the possibility of the two sides striking an agreement before long.

The official, who asked to remain anonymous, flatly dismissed rumors of linking the rice issue to negotiations on beef products, pointing out that the rice talks do not involve the two countries alone but a group of other nations as well.

The embassy official added that during next week's quarterly trade talks, the U.S. will earnestly raise issues concerning six areas - agriculture, regulation reform, automobiles, communications, intellectual property rights and pharmaceuticals.

During those talks, the U.S. is expected to urge Seoul to promptly resume its imports of American beef.