Deputy Minister for Trade Yang Byeong-nae, right, participates in a meeting at Lotte Hotel in Seoul in this file photo provided by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, March 19.

Senior trade officials from Korea and the United States have discussed ways to broaden cooperation in the semiconductor sector, officials said Thursday.

Deputy Minister for Trade Yang Byeong-nae met with his U.S. counterpart, Ramin Toloui, in Seoul earlier in the day during which Yang asked Toloui to offer sufficient support for Korean firms seeking to invest in the U.S.

Last week, the U.S. government revealed a plan to grant Samsung Electronics up to $6.4 billion to support its chipmaking investment in central Texas. The funding, provided under the CHIPS and Science Act, supports Samsung's projected investment of over $40 billion.

In response, Toloui said Washington will carefully review Korea's requests, highlighting that bilateral cooperation has not only strengthened between the governments but also within the private sector, according to Seoul's industry ministry. (Yonhap)