The deal is meant to bolster bilateral trade by cutting out customs duties and offering safety nets on investments. Bilateral trade reached about $2.4 billion in 2020, about two thirds of it goods and services imported into Israel, the ministry said.

The deal will be signed this week in Seoul during a visit by Israel's foreign affairs and economy ministers.

More than 95% of Israeli exports to South Korea will be customs-free, the ministry said. Israel is working on similar deals with China, Vietnam and India, it added.

(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)