Washington and Seoul on Thursday appeared on the verge of a deal to reopen the South Korean market to US beef exports, which would clear a key hurdle for passage of a bilateral trade agreement. between the countries.

Dennis Wilder, the White House official who manages east Asian affairs for the National Security Council, said beef exports to South Korea would top the agenda at a summit beginning on Friday between George W. Bush, US president, and Lee Myung-Bak, his South Korean counterpart.