U.S. Congress won't approve Korea FTA without renegotiations: lawmaker

By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean opposition lawmaker Thursday
warned that South Korea's ratification of a free trade deal with the U.S. will
not help promote bilateral ties, insisting U.S. Congress favors renegotiations
due to an imbalance in auto trade.

"I think that any swift ratification of the Korea-U.S. FTA (by the South Korean
National Assembly) will have an adverse impact on the relationship between South
Korea and the U.S.," Rep. Jun Byung-hun of the Democratic Party told South Korean
correspondents here.
Jun said he attended the inauguration of new U.S. President Barack Obama Tuesday
and met with congressmen to discuss the parliamentary approval of the pending
bilateral FTA and North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
The FTA was signed in June 2007 and is awaiting ratification in both capitals.
"I was told by several Democratic congressmen whom I met here that the
ratification of the Korea-U.S. FTA will be difficult without renegotiations," Jun
said.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week proposed renegotiation of the
Korea FTA, citing an imbalance in auto trade and restrictions in beef shipments.
"If the South Koreans are willing to re-engage negotiations on these vital
provisions of the agreement, we will work with them to get to resolution,"
Clinton told a Senate confirmation hearing, calling on South Korea to provide
"genuine improvements."
Jun's remarks are a bit different in tone from those of Rep. Park Jin of the
ruling Grand National Party, who predicted Tuesday that the FTA will be ratified
under the new Barack Obama administration although it may take some time.
"The Korea-U.S. FTA will be eventually ratified under the Obama administration in
consideration of the deal's importance and the disposition of the Obama
government, although the FTA appears to be sidelined due to the ongoing economic
crisis being a top priority," said Park, head of the National Assembly foreign
affairs committee.
hdh@yna.co.kr
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