Trade ministers of South Korea and China held a fresh round of marathon overnight negotiations in Beijing to forge a free trade deal, but they failed to narrow differences over sensitive agricultural and manufacturing issues, a Seoul delegate said Friday. 
   
South Korean Trade Minister Yoon Sang-jick and his Chinese counterpart, Gao Hucheng, opened the 14th round of talks in Beijing on Thursday, marking the first time that the level of chief negotiators was upgraded to ministerial, representing a clear sign that both sides are working hard to bridge gaps.
   
Trade negotiators from the two nations went on all-night negotiations at the Chinese commerce ministry and they were working non-stop, even though Yoon and Gao left the negotiating table on Thursday night, the delegate said on condition of anonymity.
   
It was unclear whether Yoon and Gao would hold another round of ministerial-level talks, but the delegate said negotiators were reporting the status of ongoing working-level talks to their trade ministers. 
   
Despite major efforts to wrap up the negotiations before a bilateral summit between President Park Geun-hye and Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier next week on the sidelines of the APEC gathering, the delegate said the two sides have reached an impasse. 
  
"Frankly speaking, it is very difficult," the delegate said, asked whether the two nations have narrowed differences on sensitive issues. 
  
The two nations started their formal free trade negotiations in May 2012, and Park and Xi agreed to work together to achieve an agreement by the end of the year during their summit in early July.
  
Agriculture and fisheries are considered the most sensitive sectors for South Korea, while China categorizes its manufacturing industries, which include the automobile, machinery and oil sectors, as sensitive.
   
China accounts for more than 30 percent of South Korea's exports. Two-way trade of goods between South Korea and China totaled about US$270 billion last year, according to Chinese government figures.
  
At the start of the Thursday talks, Yoon urged both nations to make a "wise breakthrough" to conclude the negotiations, possibly before the planned Park-Xi meeting. Gao also said China was willing to wrap up the talks at an earlier date. 
  
"Throughout this round of ministerial talks, I expect the two sides to make a wise breakthrough in the remaining sensitive issues, including goods, services, the rule of origin and non-tariff barriers," Yoon said in his opening remarks.
  
"By doing so, I hope this round of talks will become an important milestone in pursuing a Korea-China free trade agreement," Yoon said. 
   
In return, Gao told Yun that, "We are willing to work together with our South Korean colleagues to conclude the free trade negotiations." (Yonhap)