- Negotiations
In May 2007, the European Union and South Korea started negotiating a bilateral free trade agreement. It took effect on 1 July 2011.
This deal is part of the EU’s post-2006 "Global Europe" strategy to boost the competitiveness of EU corporations in the world by securing deeper commitments to neoliberal policies from trading partners, including expanded rights for European transnationals. In Korea, the European Union is trying to win equal, if not better, footing against US firms after the conclusion of the US-Korea FTA. (The EU makes stronger demands than the US on Korea in the areas of intellectual property, services, competition policy and environmental standards.)
Social movements from both sides mobilised against the deal’s potential impacts. One flashpoint of concern is for Korea’s agricultural sector, where pig farmers in particular are expected to suffer from an influx of subsidised EU pork as a result of this deal.
last update: May 2012
photo: European External Action Service - EEAS/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
23-Jul-2009
BusinessWeek
An agreement between the EU and South Korea worth billions of dollars has been put on hold after politicians balked at trade conditions
14-Jul-2009
The Korean Herald/ANN
Korea and the European Union Monday declared the conclusion of more than two years of negotiations for a free trade agreement.
13-Jul-2009
Joong Ang Daily
The Korea-EU free trade agreement, if it crystallizes, is set to deal a blow to Korea’s agricultural sector, since the average tariff on imported farming products is a relatively high 41.6 percent.
13-Jul-2009
Yonhap
South Korea and the European Union (EU) have reached agreement on a proposed free trade deal, leaving only initialing and signing of the agreement before it can be submitted to their respective legislatures for ratification, a South Korean official said Monday.
13-Jul-2009
Hankyoreh
Although the Lee Myung Bak administration is not revealing any concrete details, if you look at the draft agreement that has been unofficially confirmed, the content of the South Korea-EU FTA is just as worrisome as that found within the FTA with the US.
10-Jul-2009
Reuters
A proposed trade pact between South Korea and the European Union is one-sided and could threaten automobile manufacturing in Western Europe, a top Ford Motor Co executive said on Thursday.
8-Jul-2009
Xinhua
The South Korea-European Union free trade agreement is at the final stage of negotiations, Yonhap reported Wednesday.
25-May-2009
EU Observer
Leaders from the European Union and South Korea called for a quick conclusion to the ongoing discussions over a free trade agreement after a summit between the two sides in Seoul on Saturday (23 May) failed to produce a breakthrough.
9-May-2009
AFP
EU governments renewed on Friday their support for wrapping up floundering free trade talks with South Korea, a European Commission spokesman said.
24-Apr-2009
Hankyoreh
As negotiations for the South Korea-European Union free trade agreement (Korea-EU FTA) race into their final stages, the inner workings are starting to come to light.