The chairman of SK Inc's (KRX:034730) parent company, SK Group, has called on Japan and South Korea to jointly purchase liquefied natural gas from the US to help address trade imbalances, Nikkei Asia reported Friday.

Speaking at the Future of Asia forum in Tokyo, Chey Tae-won said a combined energy deal would expand the scale of purchases and secure lower prices, the newspaper reported.

The proposal comes amid US pressure on both countries to increase imports of American goods, the report said.

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)