Lee renews call for early approval of FTA with U.S.

By Yoo Cheong-mo
SEOUL, Nov. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said Thursday
that parliamentary approval of a free trade agreement (FTA) with the U.S. by
year's end would be in the nation's best interest.

"A parliamentary ratification of the Korea-U.S. FTA before the end of this year
will serve our national interest in various aspects," Lee was quoted as saying in
a breakfast meeting with leaders of the ruling Grand National Party.
"But the ruling party has to be fully in charge of concrete measures to gain the
FTA-related parliamentary approval."
The governments of South Korea and the U.S. signed the two-way FTA in June last
year, but the legislatures of both sides have so far been unable to ratify the
deal due to protracted political wrangling.
The GNP, which controls 172 seats of the 299-seat unicameral National Assembly,
has vowed to ratify the FTA as soon as possible, whereas the 83-seat main
opposition Democratic Party has said it will use any means necessary to prevent
the approval of the deal.
The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae has consistently called for bipartisan
support of the Korea-U.S. FTA, saying an early approval by the South Korean
parliament will help induce a similar move from the U.S. Congress.
In response, GNP floor leader Hong Joon-pyo said at the breakfast meeting that
his party will seek a bipartisan consensus on the FTA issue through further
negotiations with opposition parties.
ycm@yna.co.kr
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