Opposition Seeks FTA Draft
Korea Times
Opposition Seeks FTA Draft
27 June 2006
A South Korean minor opposition party filed a complaint against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Tuesday, calling for a copy of the original draft of the first proposals for a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States.
We have asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to disclose the original draft of the proposed FTA with the U.S., but we have been told that they could not disclose the information,'' said Rep. Kang Ki-kab of the Democratic Labor Party (DLP).Therefore, we decided to file a complaint against the ministry with the Seoul Administrative Court,’’ the lawmaker said in a press briefing.
According to DLP officials, the ministry is required to disclose the information to the National Assembly but it has repeatedly refused the party’s request, citing the sensitivity of the issue, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The ministry not only has to reveal the draft but it has to give thorough explanations to the parties,'' said Kim Sung-hee, vice-spokesman of the DLP.Refusing to accept our request is another way of saying that they do not care about the opinions of our citizens,’’ Kim said.
Through discussions with lawmakers from different parties, the DLP will continue to push for the ministry to be more transparent, even if it requires filing more complaints against the ministry, Yonhap reported.
South Korea and the U.S. wrapped up their first round of formal FTA talks earlier this month in Washington. They are scheduled to start the second round on July 10 in Seoul. Both sides hope to wrap up negotiations by March next year.
