Free trade talks with the U.S. on pharmaceuticals ended Monday in Seoul.

The two-day talks, held separately from the main round of ongoing FTA negotiations, aimed to narrow differences on South Korea's new drug pricing policy that will take effect by year's end.

The U.S. strongly requested that Seoul draft measures to assure that the “positive list system,” which allows insurance coverage only for cost-effective medicines, would not discriminate against new drugs by foreign drug makers. It also requested that Korea set up an independent agency for the filing of related protests.

South Korea, meanwhile, reaffirmed that it will implement the plan within the year pending approval by a state committee.

The government also told Washington that it cannot yield to U.S. demands that could hurt the national public health system, citing institutional and cultural differences.

The fifth round of FTA talks will open December fourth at Big Sky Resort in the U.S. state of Montana for a five-day run.

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