The White House says the free trade agreement (FTA) with South Korea was not concluded during President Barack Obama's visit to Seoul because the trade pact, in its current form, is not in the best interests of the U.S.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told a Wednesday briefing that the U.S. did not come to a final agreement on the FTA because it was not the best the U.S. thought it could get.

But he stressed continued efforts, saying that to get a free-trade agreement through Congress, the administration will need all the help it can get, including bipartisan support.