Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk have held a round of talks in San Francisco to address U.S. concerns over autos and beef in a pending free trade agreement (FTA).

A Foreign Ministry official in Seoul said Wednesday that the meeting was held at the request of Washington, adding that the two sides will discuss at a later date whether to release the results of the talks.

Experts view that the meeting between the chief trade negotiators of the two nations signals the start of bilateral working-level negotiations.

Washington has a stated goal to have a compromise on the deal done prior to President Barack Obama’s meeting with President Lee Myung-bak at the G20 summit in Seoul that opens November eleventh.