South Korea’s exports unexpectedly expanded for a third consecutive month in April, even as President Trump’s sweeping tariffs have started to hurt international trade.

Instead of retreating, South Korea is accelerating trade liberalization, with agreements signed with dozens of countries since 2018.

A senior South Korean government official ruled out on Monday (Apr 28) that Seoul would agree to a trade package with Washington by the time the country holds a presidential election on Jun 3, and flagged challenges to reaching a deal even before early July.