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In an effort to give new impetus to free trade negotiations with the European Union (EU), South Korea plans to improve its tariff concessions, the commerce ministry said Wednesday.

South Korea and the 27-nation EU have held three rounds of free trade talks since May aimed at reaching a deal to lower tariffs and open their markets wider.

The first three rounds made slow progress, however, because of differences in such sensitive areas as automobiles and pharmaceuticals, casting a dark cloud on their goal of forging a deal this year.

The two sides are scheduled to hold their fourth round of negotiations in Seoul next week.

"In order to keep the momentum of talks flowing we are trying to see if further concessions can be made," said Hong Suk-woo, deputy minister for trade and investment. South Korea's Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon also held a one-hour meeting with the EU's trade commissioner, Peter Mandelson, in Brussels on Wednesday to exchange views on the trade talks.

During the meeting, Kim and Mandelson shared the view that the trade talks should be completed as soon as possible, according to officials. However, the EU side continued to demand that Seoul's offer to Brussels match tariff concessions Seoul granted to the United States, the officials said.

The EU has offered to eliminate or phase out all of its import tariffs on South Korean goods within seven years, and remove tariffs on 80 percent of the goods within three years of the free trade pact going into effect.

South Korea offered to eliminate tariffs on most industrial goods within three years, and eliminate duties on roughly 68 percent of all EU goods as measured in value at the same time.

This is an improvement on the liberalization rate of 63 percent proposed in the initial offer. But the EU expressed disappointment with South Korea's offer, saying it falls short of a similar accord signed with the United States in June.

One of the thorniest issues in the negotiations is car trade.

Brussels wants South Korea to reduce regulations for European carmakers by applying international standards instead of different domestic rules. South Korea held out for an improvement in Europe's offer to eliminate a 10 percent tariff on imported autos in seven years.

South Korea sold 74,000 autos worth $9.1 billion in Europe last year while buying only 15,000 vehicles worth $1.6 billion. The country's tariff rate on cars is 8 percent, compared to 10 percent for the EU.

The EU is South Korea's second-largest trading partner after China, with bilateral trade reaching US$79 billion in 2006. Some unofficial studies suggest a free trade agreement would boost that figure by as much as 40 percent in the long run.

The EU is also the largest foreign investor in South Korea, with $40.4 billion invested as of the end of 2006. Currently, South Korea has free trade agreements with Chile, Singapore, the European Free Trade Association and a partial pact with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Seoul is also seeking similar trade deals with Canada, India and Mexico.

SEOUL, Oct. 10 (Yonhap)