Seoul: A joint summit document on trade and security between Seoul and Washington could be released as early as Friday, sources said Thursday. Ruling party officials familiar with the matter indicated that the two countries are in the process of fine-tuning the joint fact sheet, which outlines the outcomes of the October 29 summit talks between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump, and are currently reviewing the timing of its announcement.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, addressed the matter, highlighting that discussions are progressing with careful attention to detail. "We will be able to present favorable outcomes to the people," Kang stated to reporters before his departure for the United Arab Emirates as a special envoy for strategic economic cooperation.

In related developments, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun engaged U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to expedite the planned release during the Group of Seven foreign ministers' meeting in Canada. This comes amid a protracted delay in the announcement. The joint fact sheet is intended to detail the agreements reached by the two leaders, including Seoul's efforts to secure fuel supplies for nuclear-powered submarines and South Korea's US$350 billion investment pledge. This investment is in exchange for the United States lowering its tariff on South Korean goods from 25 percent to 15 percent.

Despite ongoing efforts, the presidential office remains cautious regarding the exact date for the announcement, citing various possible scenarios. Seoul officials have previously alluded to unfinished coordination among relevant U.S. government agencies over "security" matters, suggesting that the delay is most likely linked to the nuclear-powered submarine issue.