South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Thursday that the country is working hard to strike a trade deal with the United States on impending tariffs but expressed uncertainty about when talks would be concluded.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has nominated a five-term liberal lawmaker as defense minister, breaking with a tradition of appointing retired military generals

Lee faces the most daunting set of challenges for a South Korean leader in nearly three decades, ranging from healing a country scarred by the martial law attempt to tackling unpredictable U.S. protectionist moves.