Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon met with the governor of the US state of Wisconsin on Friday and discussed trade and economic cooperation, including the free trade pact between the two countries, Lee's office said.

Gov. Scott Walker has been on a four-day visit to South Korea since Wednesday, leading an economic mission of about 20 people that includes government officials and business leaders in the state. It is his first visit to Korea.
 
During the meeting, Lee noted the steady development of cooperative relations in trade and other areas between South Korea and Wisconsin, officials said. Lee also asked for Walker's support for the free trade agreement between the two countries, saying the deal has been beneficial to both nations, according to the officials.

Walker said that South Korea is Wisconsin's eight-largest trade partner and expressed the hope that his visit will help further deepen cooperation not only in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors but also in the cultural and educational fields, they said.

The governor also said that trade between South Korea and Wisconsin has been on the rise since the FTA went into effect in 2012. He added that Wisconsin has benefited a lot from the agreement and will try to use the trade pact to move relations between the two countries further forward, officials said. (Yonhap)