ID :
26741
Mon, 10/27/2008 - 09:28
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https://www.oananews.org//node/26741
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Obama to submit Korea FTA for ratification in early 2009: aide
By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama will submit a free trade agreement (FTA) between South Korea and the U.S. for ratification early next year if he is elected on Nov. 4, his foreign policy adviser said Saturday.
The adviser, Frank Jannuzi, set several preconditions, however, including the
"strengthening of the access of American automobile exports to Korea, taking
steps to make sure workers who might lose their jobs will get job training and
unemployment and health insurance, and solving the beef issue."
South Korea and the U.S. signed the FTA in June last year, but the Bush
administration has not yet brought it before Congress due to the political
sensitivity of the election year. Many fear the agreement will cost American
workers jobs.
Seoul and Washington officials have expressed hopes that the trade deal, the
biggest for the U.S. since the North American Free Trade Agreement in the early
1990s, will pass through the Democrat-controlled Congress during the lame duck
session next month.
Unlike Republican rival John McCain, who is an ardent supporter of the FTA, Obama
has been reluctant to back the agreement. But analysts and officials here say that
Democrats may become more flexible on the trade issue under Obama's leadership in
order to support a Democratic president.
"I will tell you honestly that Senator Obama opposes the Korea-U.S. free trade
agreement as it is drafted because he felt it failed to address some key things
that need to be addressed," Jannuzi said in a speech to a gathering of
Korean-Americans in Annandale, Virginia.
The aide, however, said the Illinois senator's opposition is "not forever,"
adding Obama supports free trade and that "as president, he will do the things
necessary to see its ratification is possible."
Jannuzi singled out the beef issue, saying that it "has mostly been solved but
we've got still a little bit more to do. But, if these issues are addressed, I am
confident Senator Obama will submit the Korea-U.S. agreement successfully to
Congress for its approval and I hope it will happen early next year."
Seoul lifted a blanket import ban on U.S. beef in April this year, sparking
massive street protests throughout South Korea over the safety of the meat. The
ban had first been imposed in December 2003 after a case of mad cow disease was
detected in the U.S.
Obama, who recently described the Korea-U.S. FTA as "badly flawed," said last
week in the third and final presidential debate that "when it comes to South
Korea, we've got a trade agreement up right now -- they are sending hundreds of
thousands of South Korean cars into the United States -- that's all good, (but)
we can only get 4,000 to 5,000 into South Korea."
"That is not free trade," said Obama. "We've got to have a president who is going
to be advocating on behalf of American businesses and American workers."
South Korea shipped about 700,000 automobiles to the U.S. last year while
importing 5,000 from the U.S. Democrats also want more steel shipments to be
allowed into South Korea.
U.S. automakers have called for a guaranteed market share, but Bush
administration officials say the trade deal will not make such guarantees.
On the North Korean issue, Jannuzi said Obama wants "direct high-level
engagement" of North Korea. He also said the six-party talks on the North's
denuclearization are complementary and can allow for denuclearization to take
place in a "verifiable, genuine and complete" manner.
"We cannot accept any half solution to this problem. We need a complete
solution," he said. "To do this, we have to do step by step -- normalize
relations, lift sanctions, provide security guarantee, energy and economic
development assistance to North Korea so they could feel that is in their best
interest."
Jannuzi called for closer tripartite cooperation between South Korea, the U.S.
and Japan for the North's denuclearization. South Korea has been reluctant
towards the idea, citing Japan's failure to properly own up to its past colonial
rule of Korea.
Tokyo is widely accused of trying to gloss over its past militarism in school
textbooks, and has claimed sovereignty over the South Korean-administered islets
of Dokdo. The renewed territorial claims have struck a raw nerve with many South
Koreans.
Jannuzi said he saw no reason for North Korea not to become a friend of the U.S.
someday if Pyongyang fully agrees to denuclearize.
"There is no problem between North Korea and the U.S. that they cannot solve," he
said. "But the key is consistent principles and to be respectful."
He said the Bush administration spent six years without meaningfully engaging the
North.
"Eventually they learned (from) the experience and two years ago began direct
bilateral engagement," he said.
"As soon as they made the change they made some progress," Jannuzi said,
referring to a recently agreed-upon verification plan for North Korea's nuclear
declaration. The agreement signaled a major breakthrough in the six-party talks,
which have progressed sluggishly over the last five years.
"I think when Senator Obama talked about his own willingness to engage directly
North Korea, it doesn't mean he will get on the airplane on Jan. 25th to fly to
Pyongyang. No one should expect that," he said.
Obama understands there can be no peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear
issue "until we have an opportunity to build mutual respect and trust," Jannuzi
said. "This is the fundamental changes Senator Obama will bring to the White
House."
"I think everyone understands we must engage, but most of the debate is how to
engage," he said. He noted that former U.S. President Jimmy Carter mediated the
Geneva nuclear agreement in 1994 with "some important measure of respect for
North Korean leader Kim Il-sung."
He expected South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will join Obama in engaging
North Korea, saying no one will be able to communicate with North Korea through
pressure and threats, as the reclusive state has become well accustomed to that
approach over the past 60 years.
hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama will submit a free trade agreement (FTA) between South Korea and the U.S. for ratification early next year if he is elected on Nov. 4, his foreign policy adviser said Saturday.
The adviser, Frank Jannuzi, set several preconditions, however, including the
"strengthening of the access of American automobile exports to Korea, taking
steps to make sure workers who might lose their jobs will get job training and
unemployment and health insurance, and solving the beef issue."
South Korea and the U.S. signed the FTA in June last year, but the Bush
administration has not yet brought it before Congress due to the political
sensitivity of the election year. Many fear the agreement will cost American
workers jobs.
Seoul and Washington officials have expressed hopes that the trade deal, the
biggest for the U.S. since the North American Free Trade Agreement in the early
1990s, will pass through the Democrat-controlled Congress during the lame duck
session next month.
Unlike Republican rival John McCain, who is an ardent supporter of the FTA, Obama
has been reluctant to back the agreement. But analysts and officials here say that
Democrats may become more flexible on the trade issue under Obama's leadership in
order to support a Democratic president.
"I will tell you honestly that Senator Obama opposes the Korea-U.S. free trade
agreement as it is drafted because he felt it failed to address some key things
that need to be addressed," Jannuzi said in a speech to a gathering of
Korean-Americans in Annandale, Virginia.
The aide, however, said the Illinois senator's opposition is "not forever,"
adding Obama supports free trade and that "as president, he will do the things
necessary to see its ratification is possible."
Jannuzi singled out the beef issue, saying that it "has mostly been solved but
we've got still a little bit more to do. But, if these issues are addressed, I am
confident Senator Obama will submit the Korea-U.S. agreement successfully to
Congress for its approval and I hope it will happen early next year."
Seoul lifted a blanket import ban on U.S. beef in April this year, sparking
massive street protests throughout South Korea over the safety of the meat. The
ban had first been imposed in December 2003 after a case of mad cow disease was
detected in the U.S.
Obama, who recently described the Korea-U.S. FTA as "badly flawed," said last
week in the third and final presidential debate that "when it comes to South
Korea, we've got a trade agreement up right now -- they are sending hundreds of
thousands of South Korean cars into the United States -- that's all good, (but)
we can only get 4,000 to 5,000 into South Korea."
"That is not free trade," said Obama. "We've got to have a president who is going
to be advocating on behalf of American businesses and American workers."
South Korea shipped about 700,000 automobiles to the U.S. last year while
importing 5,000 from the U.S. Democrats also want more steel shipments to be
allowed into South Korea.
U.S. automakers have called for a guaranteed market share, but Bush
administration officials say the trade deal will not make such guarantees.
On the North Korean issue, Jannuzi said Obama wants "direct high-level
engagement" of North Korea. He also said the six-party talks on the North's
denuclearization are complementary and can allow for denuclearization to take
place in a "verifiable, genuine and complete" manner.
"We cannot accept any half solution to this problem. We need a complete
solution," he said. "To do this, we have to do step by step -- normalize
relations, lift sanctions, provide security guarantee, energy and economic
development assistance to North Korea so they could feel that is in their best
interest."
Jannuzi called for closer tripartite cooperation between South Korea, the U.S.
and Japan for the North's denuclearization. South Korea has been reluctant
towards the idea, citing Japan's failure to properly own up to its past colonial
rule of Korea.
Tokyo is widely accused of trying to gloss over its past militarism in school
textbooks, and has claimed sovereignty over the South Korean-administered islets
of Dokdo. The renewed territorial claims have struck a raw nerve with many South
Koreans.
Jannuzi said he saw no reason for North Korea not to become a friend of the U.S.
someday if Pyongyang fully agrees to denuclearize.
"There is no problem between North Korea and the U.S. that they cannot solve," he
said. "But the key is consistent principles and to be respectful."
He said the Bush administration spent six years without meaningfully engaging the
North.
"Eventually they learned (from) the experience and two years ago began direct
bilateral engagement," he said.
"As soon as they made the change they made some progress," Jannuzi said,
referring to a recently agreed-upon verification plan for North Korea's nuclear
declaration. The agreement signaled a major breakthrough in the six-party talks,
which have progressed sluggishly over the last five years.
"I think when Senator Obama talked about his own willingness to engage directly
North Korea, it doesn't mean he will get on the airplane on Jan. 25th to fly to
Pyongyang. No one should expect that," he said.
Obama understands there can be no peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear
issue "until we have an opportunity to build mutual respect and trust," Jannuzi
said. "This is the fundamental changes Senator Obama will bring to the White
House."
"I think everyone understands we must engage, but most of the debate is how to
engage," he said. He noted that former U.S. President Jimmy Carter mediated the
Geneva nuclear agreement in 1994 with "some important measure of respect for
North Korean leader Kim Il-sung."
He expected South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will join Obama in engaging
North Korea, saying no one will be able to communicate with North Korea through
pressure and threats, as the reclusive state has become well accustomed to that
approach over the past 60 years.
hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)
