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Trump encouraged by talk of 'a level playing field' on trade with South Korea

South Korea is a longstanding American ally, but President Donald Trump has spoken harshly about U.S. trade imbalances and threatened to tear up the bilateral trade pact. "We will do more to remove barriers to reciprocal trade and market access," Trump said, adding that the two leaders had talked about the thorny trade areas of steel and autos. Trump said he was encouraged by South Korea's President Moon Jae-in's assurances that he would seek a level playing field for American workers and businesses, particularly automakers. A joint statement said the two sides had agreed to work together to reduce over supply of basic materials such as steel and non-tariff barriers. It also said Trump had accepted an invitation from Moon to visit South Korea this year. Bonnie Glaser, senior adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said it was unwise for Trump to air the trade issue so publicly. "Public complaints by Trump about unfair trade and inadequate defense spending provide opportunities for China and North Korea to drive a wedge between the allies," she said. The U.S. goods trade deficit with South Korea has more than doubled since the U.S.-Korea free trade pact known as KORUS took effect in 2012. The agreement was forecast to boost U.S. exports by $10 billion a year, but in 2016 they were $3 billion lower than in 2011. At the start of Friday's talks, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the largest component of the deficit was automotive trade and many non-tariff barriers to U.S. auto exports to South Korea remained. "I think the way to address it is to deal product by product with what we can do to change the export side and what we can do to reduce the bad imports side," he said. Ross said later on Friday that some progress had been made in the talks. The current pact was agreed to despite protests by supporters of Moon, who was then in opposition. But analysts have suggested that given the need to preserve a unified front in the face of a hostile North Korea, there could be compromise on both sides to resolve issues. (By David Brunnstrom and Lisa Lambert. Additional reporting by Fatima Bhojani, Roberta Rampton, Tim Ahmann, David Chance, David Lawder and Eric Beech; Editing by Bill Trott and Andrew Hay) Related Video: Image Credit: Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters Government/Legal Genesis Hyundai Kia trade

2019 Kia Forte Second Drive Review | The notes say it's a good choice

The 2019 Kia Forte is one of those cars that impresses and pleases with its well-rounded goodness. It has few foibles, its engineers and designers capably checked as many boxes as they could, and after a week spent driving around town running errands, I found myself saying, "Yeah, this could be my permanent car for driving around town running errands." And yet, if it wasn't for my test drive notes, I'm pretty sure I would've forgotten the Forte. Its styling is handsome and will certainly age well, but it's not bold nor particularly memorable. The gray paint doesn't help. The interior is well-equipped and sensibly laid out, but I had to consult the photo file to recall what it looked like. The Mazda3 and new Toyota Corolla had no such problems. The driving experience, which is perfectly pleasant and vice free around town, merely manages to demonstrate poise and not be flummoxed by mid-corner heaves when pushed on a mountain road. Multiple drive settings are included — a nice touch — and although Normal is just a little too light and numb, even when driving on the highway, the Sport setting dials in just the right amount of extra effort. So too does the "Smart" setting, which I assume lived up to its name by figuring out how I'd prefer my steering. And yet, it could use more feel and is certainly not a Stinger in a small package. Again, I don't need notes to remember what the wheels of the Mazda3, Honda Civic and Corolla Hatchback felt like in my hands. The Forte ... ah ... So this compact Kia comes standard with a neuralizer from " Men in Black" that wipes out your memories after contact. Oh well. Because what it lacks in memorability, it makes up for with that general foible-free goodness. Take the infotainment system as but one example. The Forte's standard 8-inch touchscreen is a paragon of user friendliness and includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Honda Civic's, by contrast, is wonky and optional. The Corolla's can't be had with Android Auto. The Mazda's isn't a touchscreen. The cabin? It's spacious for four adults aboard. Driver seat comfort? The eight-way power adjustment was spot on for this 6-plus-footer. The trunk? It has 15.3 cubic feet, which is midsize sedan territory, and even bests the previously-thought-to-be jumbo Honda Civic (15.1 cubic feet). The in-car storage?

Kia releases first photos of new Sportage

Occasionally, an automaker introduces a great looking concept that translates seamlessly into a very handsome road car. This isn't exactly one of those times. Kia has released the first three images of the new Sportage, the company's small CUV. The company says they drew inspiration for the production model from the Provo Concept, shown at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, although we see quite a lot more inspiration from the Niro Concept, originally introduced at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, particularly around the front fascia. In fact, when we originally covered the Niro, commenter sp33dklz went as far as saying, "So, by the time this gets to us it will be a new four-door Sportage?" Gold star to you, sir. The front end is a rather busy place, although the rest of the design appears far cleaner. In front, you have almost top-mounted headlights that remind us a bit of the original Subaru B9 Tribeca. Kia's Tiger Grille is there, and it's flanked by four-unit LED running lights, like those used on the Sorento and Optima. While there's a bit too much going on up front, the rear end is a much cleaner affair. A chrome strip ties together the flattop taillights, while a pair of oval exhaust poke out of the silver-colored diffuser/bumper guard. The greenhouse gets an aggressive shape and a thick D-pillar, while meaty wheel arches and large alloy wheels – we're betting they're at least 18s – add some spice to the two-box profile. Check out the trio of images of the new Sportage at the top of the page. Then scroll down for the official press release and register your opinion in Comments. We'll have much more on the all-new Sportage when we make the trek to the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show next month. FIRST EXTERIOR IMAGES OF ALL-NEW SPORTAGE All-new Sportage to be unveiled at IAA Frankfurt New "face" is biggest design change European Design Centre led styling Kia Motors has today revealed the first official exterior images of the all-new Kia Sportage, featuring a dynamic and strong new design. The all-new Sportage will make its global debut at the Frankfurt International Motor Show on 15 September 2015. Entering its fourth-generation, the all-new Kia Sportage features a bold, progressive design, with the vehicle's designers creating a sense of power and agility from every angle.