Brussels, 19/01/2009 (Agence Europe) - European Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton is on a two-day visit to Seoul (19-20 January) for discussions with her South Korean counterpart Kim Jong-hoon to provide fresh impetus to negotiations on a free trade agreement, in which motor cars and rules of origin are still proving a stumbling block. Although no date has yet been set for the 8th round table discussions, it was announced that sufficient progress had been made in December to suggest that agreement could be concluded in the first quarter of 2009. (E.H./transl.rt)