S. Korea has already conceded enough in KORUS FTA
Hankyoreh, Seoul
Editorial
S. Korea has already conceded enough in KORUS FTA
21 November 2009
The debate surrounding the South Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) is growing stronger. President Lee Myung-bak’s suggestion of a possibility of renegotiation of the auto trade clauses in the agreement during the South Korea-US summit press conference has set it off. Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry officials are strongly denying the possibility of a renegotiation, but regardless, additional discussions appear unavoidable.
If additional negotiations were to take place, it would not be right for the renegotiations to be limited to just the auto sector. When we look at the KORUS FTA in its entirety, and not just at the auto trade clauses, the agreement is unfavorable to South Korea. Unfavorable auto tariff concessions were made and reflect U.S. demands almost as they were presented. Just because the U.S. autoworkers’ unions continue to oppose the KORUS FTA, it is being suggested that it is an unfavorable agreement to the U.S. when in fact, the agreement is favorable to the U.S. as a whole.
The acceptance of additional US demands at this point to rewrite the trade clauses on auto taxes and provide a guarantee to the interests of the U.S. auto industry by reducing the breadth of the opening of the U.S. car market would increase the imbalance between the interests of both sides. This is why we cannot accept renegotiations limited to only the auto sector.
Accordingly, in the event of additional talks or negotiations, discussions must go in the direction of adjusting imbalances throughout the entire agreement by demanding an amendment of all articles that are unfavorable to South Korea. If we are to yield a bit more to U.S. demands in the auto sector, we need to make demands for what we hope for in other sectors. As President Lee Myung-bak has pointed out, there is great domestic opposition concerning the agricultural and services sectors of the agreement. There are more than a few poisonous articles, in the KORUS FTA, including those concerning national and investor lawsuits. If we can put all of these problem issues on the table and correct them, this could become a good opportunity to appease the public’s opposition to the FTA.
Moreover, in order for the Lee administration to use the U.S. demand for additional talks strategically, it must first rebuild its communications with the public. President Lee’s statement that South Korea is prepared to talk again with the U.S. on the auto trade clauses, which came up during the South Korea-U.S. summit has only caused confusion so far. It goes without saying that as a matter becomes more diplomatically sensitive, the Lee administration must avoid any amateurish, immature, or clumsy attempts to ratify the agreement early.
