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Korea

Korean groups vow ’no violence’ in US capital
23-May-2006 Korea Herald
Korean activists will go ahead with their planned rallies in Washington to protest negotiations for a free trade agreement, ignoring the government’s appeal for restraint.
US upbeat about trade talks with South Korea, Malaysia
22-May-2006 Channel News Asia
The United States is "very optimistic" about clinching free trade agreements (FTAs) with major trading partners South Korea and Malaysia, a senior US official said.
Gov’t urges anti-FTA protestors to stay home
20-May-2006 Chosun Ilbo
The South Korean government on Friday urged a group of some 100 Koreans to refrain from staging a protest in Washington against the first round of negotiations for a free trade agreement with the US, to be held there on June 5-9.
EU, South Korea eye preliminary FTA talks
18-May-2006 Forbes
South Korea and the European Union have agreed to hold preliminary talks that could lead to the establishment of a free trade agreement (FTA).
Experts warn of inflated hopes for Korea-US FTA
18-May-2006 Chosun Ilbo
A free trade agreement between Korea and the US is expected to bring substantial challenges as well as opportunities for the Korean economy. The manufacturing industry led by textiles, cars and electronics will see exports increase, but agricultural, fisheries and the service industry will at the very least have undertake structural reforms to survive.
S Korean farm sector to suffer huge damage from US FTA: report
18-May-2006 Asia Pulse
A free trade pact with the United States would deal a hard blow to South Korea’s agricultural sector and cause estimated losses of up to 8.8 trillion won (US$9.39 billion), a Korea University report showed Wednesday.
Asean signs FTA with South Korea after Thailand opts out
16-May-2006 The Nation
South Korea signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Tuesday but founding member Thailand was left out due to internal disagreements and objections to Seoul’s barriers on farm products.
Thailand to be left out of ASEAN FTA with S. Korea
15-May-2006
Thailand will not be included in a free trade agreement to be signed between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)and South Korea this week, the Philippine trade secretary said Monday.
Korea completes draft for FTA with US
15-May-2006
Reducing or scrapping the 40 percent tariff on beef imports will be on the agenda at FTA negotiations with the US scheduled to start on June 5, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Monday, under first drafts Korea and the US have completed.
Honest approach required in Korea-U.S. FTA negotiation
15-May-2006
I read an article by Woo Seok-gyun, an official from the Korea Federation of Medical Groups for Health Rights (KFHR), regarding the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiation on medical care and education. Mr. Woo described the upcoming negotiation as a ’game of truth’ by the government.
S Korean actors to protest FTA with US in Cannes
15-May-2006
A group of South Korean movie workers left for France Monday to protest at the Cannes film festival against South Korea’s plan to sign a free trade pact with the United States, representatives of the group said.
Korea, US FTA no longer an option
15-May-2006
A free trade agreement with the United States has sparked a heated debate in Korea. The two major labor unions and the nation’s largest environmental group have jointly launched a nationwide campaign against a Korea-US FTA. There are also plenty of pro-FTA supporters.
US FTA: A good opportunity to upgrade Korean economy
15-May-2006
Korea and the US officially announced the start of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) three months ago. The two sides are set to begin negotiations this June after gathering opinions from various fields of society.
S Korea considers FTA with Gulf countries: Roh
15-May-2006 Korea Times
President Roh Moo-hyun said Saturday that the government will consider signing a free trade agreement (FTA) with the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
ASEAN trade ministers meet to accelerate creation of European-style economic community
14-May-2006 Philippine Star
Southeast Asian trade ministers, pressured by China and India’s growing economic might, will gather this week in Manila to chart plans to accelerate their daunting ambition of creating a European-style economic community. They will also assess progress of ASEAN’s various free trade negotiations.
Imports of rice at issue in US trade negotiations with Korea
12-May-2006 Washington File
Rice, the staple food for much of Asia, will doubtless be a tough issue in negotiations on a US-South Korea free-trade agreement (FTA) and could be an issue in US-Malaysia FTA talks, US experts say.
FTA summary to be reported to National Assembly next week
12-May-2006 Korea Times
A summary of the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is expected to be presented by the Ministry of Finance and Economy to the National Assembly next week, while an exchange of agreement drafts with the US is expected on May 19.
Free trade agreements: complicated but unavoidable
9-May-2006
The 16th Inter-Pacific Bar Association Conference, held in Sydney last week, provided a forum to illustrate the enormous impact FTAs have on the economic and social aspects of their respective countries and the legal issues underlying them.
Free-trade agreement: Thailand rejects deal with South Korea
9-May-2006 The Nation
Thailand is the only Asean member not planning to sign the free-trade agreement (FTA) with South Korea and will thus lose export competitiveness, due to higher import tariffs.
India aiming for Pan-Asian FTA: Manmohan
6-May-2006
Having concluded free trade agreements with SAARC, Singapore and Thailand, India is pursuing similar arrangements with several other Asian countries, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, said here on Friday.