- Negotiations
The government of South Korea has concluded, or is pursuing negotiations for, a number of bilateral free trade and investment agreements. Korean social movements have been mobilizing in opposition to these ever since the Korea-Chile FTA was proposed. So far, South Korea has signed deals with Chile (2004), EFTA (2004), Singapore (2005), ASEAN (2007) the US (2007, ratified in 2011), Peru (2011) and Turkey (2012). Talks are under way with Canada, China, Mexico, India, the EU and, technically speaking, Japan. Negotiations with Colombia have stalled over Colombia’s demands for access for better terms for its fruit and flower exports than what Korea gives Chile and Peru. Seoul is also looking to open discussions with Mercosur, Malaysia, Mexico and possibly Israel.
last update: May 2012
Photo: Joe Mabel / CC BY-SA 3.0
30-Jul-2012
Korea and Turkey are scheduled to ink a bilateral free trade agreement and an agreement on trade in goods on Wednesday in Ankara, Seoul’s Trade Ministry said on Monday.
29-Jul-2012
Israel and Korea hope to begin formal free trade negotiations next year, according to Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister on Thursday.
22-Jul-2012
The Korea-Colombia Free Trade Agreement will be a win-win opportunity for both economies and help further strengthen the “brotherhood” forged through blood during the Korea War, the Colombian Ambassador said Tuesday.
11-Jul-2012
Asahi Shimbun
Korean pig farmers are increasingly finding themselves in a pickle after the European Union began exporting pork bellies, a fixture in the Korean diet, for less than one-third of the local price under the FTA that took effect in July last year.
26-Jun-2012
Korea Times
The leaders of Korea and Colombia announced early Tuesday morning that the two countries had finished the negotiations for a free trade agreement.
24-Jun-2012
Arirang
The two countries have decided to expand cooperation to various fields, such as education, culture and renewable energy, through an enhanced trade pact.
28-May-2012
Trade officials in Seoul indicated yesterday that South Korea and Colombia will soon conclude a free trade agreement (FTA).
12-May-2012
Hankyoreh
"We lose two trillion won every year because we are importing that amount of agricultural products from other countries, in this case, the United States. That means, ten percent of the population—300,000 peasants—will be forced out of their businesses every year. That means the end to our agricultural base. So, the FTA is a system for the one percent of the people."
10-May-2012
South Korea and Peru upgraded their relations to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" Thursday in a move expected to bring the two far-off countries even closer after their economic ties got a boost from last year’s free trade agreement.
8-Apr-2012
A coalition of left of centre parties is well positioned to win South Korea’s parliamentary elections on Wednesday with a platform of improving social services and renegotiating a free-trade pact with the United States.
Links
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KoPA is a coalition of around 50 NGOs, social movement organizations, political parties, peasant organizations and trade unions working, among other things, to stop bilateral and regional free trade agreements and the WTO.
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