*

South Korea finance chief was set to board for Washington

when

news of delay broke

*

Pressure piling on Seoul after Japan clinches trade deal

*

Range of sectors, investment projects considered under

potential

deal remain unclear

*

South Korea trade, industry ministers hold talks in

Washington

(Writes through with more details, adds markets)

By Jihoon Lee

SEOUL, July 24 (Reuters) - Talks between top South

Korean and U.S. officials to negotiate over U.S. President

Donald Trump's tariffs have been postponed due to a scheduling

conflict for U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, South

Korea's finance ministry said on Thursday.

The two sides will reschedule the meeting between Bessent

and South Korean Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol, as well as the

top trade envoys of both countries, as soon as possible, the

ministry said.

Koo was set to board a flight for Washington on Thursday to

attend the meeting on Friday in the hope of hammering out a deal

that would spare Asia's fourth-largest economy from Trump's

punishing 25% tariffs set to take effect on August 1.

The sudden announcement by the finance ministry an hour

before Koo's departure cast fresh doubts about whether Seoul

would be able to pull off an agreement to avert U.S. import

duties that could hit some of its major exporting industries.

The benchmark KOSPI stock index trimmed early gains

to trade up 0.7% as of 0134 GMT, as auto and auto parts makers

fell on news of the postponed talks, with Hyundai Motor ( HYMTF )

dropping as much as 1.8%.

Washington gave no further details for postponing Friday's

meeting, the finance ministry said, though U.S. officials are

embroiled in a flurry of different negotiations.

Bessent was set to meet China's Vice Premier He Lifeng in

Sweden for a new round of trade talks ahead of the August 12

deadline set for Beijing. Washington is also moving towards a

deal with the European Union.

Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo and Industry Minister Kim

Jung-kwan, who have travelled to Washington this week, have been

meeting with U.S. officials as scheduled, the South Korean

government said.

Yeo will hold a meeting with U.S. Trade Representative

Jamieson Greer, the industry ministry said.

Pressure on South Korea heightened this week after Japan

clinched a deal with the United States, which Trump said would

see Tokyo allowing greater market access for American products

including autos and some agricultural products.

The two major Asian security allies of the United States

compete in areas such as autos and steel, and Japan's deal was

seen by investors as a benchmark for the type of agreement Seoul

should try to squeeze out in negotiations, analysts have said.

The involvement of a range of ministerial-level officials

from Seoul in broad discussions with U.S. officials in recent

days suggested the two sides were at work on a trade package

that could potentially involve a range of sectors, including

South Korea's sensitive farm markets.

South Korean officials have said access to U.S. markets is

key to industrial cooperation between the allies that would help

rebuild American manufacturing industries.

Finance ministry officials in Seoul declined to comment on

media reports that Washington is asking South Korea to set up a

large-scale investment fund in the United States to support the

reconstruction of its manufacturing industry.

South Korea has been reviewing the feasibility of joining a

$44 billion gas pipeline project in Alaska floated by Trump.