Seoul, Sept. 16 -- South Korea's top trade envoy said that Seoul is working to strike a deal that protects its national interest as he left for Washington for follow-up talks on a multibillion-dollar investment deal, with the two countries still divided over key details of the July accord, as reported by The Korea Herald.

Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo's trip comes just a day after Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan returned from a five-day visit to the US, during which he met with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Kim offered little detail beyond saying the talks were ongoing, fueling concerns that the negotiations are deadlocked.

Asked about the unusual back-to-back trip, Yeo stressed that "the government is making every effort on all fr...