The South Korean commerce minister on Wednesday embarked on a weeklong trip to the United States to meet American policymakers and business leaders as part of efforts to expand economic ties between the two nations, his office said.

Paik Un-gyu, minister of trade, industry and energy, made his first trip to the US since taking office last year after the two nations agreed in principle on key issues to fix their six-year-old trade deal.

The agreement came against the backdrop of negotiations to get South Korea off the list of countries that will be slapped with 25 percent tariffs on steel exports to the US.

"His visit is aimed at strengthening economic relations with the US as uncertainties in bilateral trade have eased following the tentative agreement in the steel duties and KORUS FTA," the ministry said in a release.

Paik will hold a roundtable talk with potential investors in New York on Wednesday and head to Washington on Thursday to meet with US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Thomas Donohue, the president of the US Chamber of Commerce, the ministry said.

South Korea's finance minister and central bank chiefs are also scheduled to visit the American capital to attend the G-20 Finance Minister and Central Bank Governors meeting on Thursday and Friday.(Yonhap)