Ruling party vows to swiftly ratify Korea-U.S. FTA

SEOUL, March 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's ruling party on Tuesday vowed to push
for early ratification of a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States,
after a top trade official in Washington hinted at renegotiating the long overdue
trade deal.

Ron Kirk, President Barack Obama's nominee for U.S. trade representative, said at
a Senate confirmation hearing on Monday (local time) that the FTA deal with South
Korea "isn't acceptable" and was "not fair," implying a renegotiation of the
deal.
Obama has opposed ratification of what he called the "badly flawed" FTA with
South Korea, citing an imbalance in auto trade, though South Korea disputes the
figures, which include hundreds of thousands of autos produced by Hyundai Motor's
U.S. plant in Alabama.
The governments of South Korea and the U.S. signed the FTA in June 2007, but the
legislatures of both sides have yet to ratify the deal amid partisan clashes.
The pro-trade deal also remains a thorny issue among South Korean lawmakers, but
rival party members of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs, Trade and
Unification Committee last week made a tentative agreement to put the deal to a
vote next month.
"South Korea's legislative body will vote on the deal independent of developments
in the U.S.," Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, floor leader of the ruling Grand National Party
(GNP), told reporters, signaling that his party intends to push for swift
ratification of the deal.
Rep. Yim Tae-hee, head of the GNP's policy committee, also called for quick
approval of the deal, noting that Kirk's comment "proves that the agreement is in
South Korea's best interest."
"We have to (pass the FTA) as soon as possible since (the deal) is only
advantageous to South Korea," Yim said.
Rep. Park Jin, chairman of the National Assembly's foreign affairs and trade
committee, refrained from reading too much into Kirk's comments, saying that his
words don't represent the official stance of Washington as of now.
"The remarks are not from official documents from the USTR but merely words by
nominee Kirk during his hearing," the GNP lawmaker said, adding that such
comments do not necessarily signal a renegotiation.
Park, however, underscored the need to hold "political talks" with the Obama
administration in order to find a "win-win" situation that deals with specific
clauses without violating the overall agreement.
A ranking official at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae also downplayed
Kirk's statement, saying that his words do not represent the official view of the
U.S. government.
"The priority for us should be to understand the circumstances surrounding Kirk's
statement," the official said on condition of anonymity. He noted that U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, after expressing concerns on the FTA at her
confirmation hearing in January, later pointed out positive aspects of the deal.
Opposition lawmakers, however, called for a "strategic and cautious stance" in
processing the deal and urged the GNP to refrain from unilaterally passing the
deal.
"We should approach the matter with more prudence," Rep. Won Hye-young, floor
leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, said at a party meeting, warning
of "possibly erring by trying to maximize the country's interest."
Rep. Lee Hoi-chang, head of the conservative opposition Liberty Forward Party,
also described the government and the ruling party as patients suffering from
"ultra shortsightedness."
"We must ratify the FTA but not at the expense of damaging national interest by
hurriedly passing the deal," Lee said, underscoring the need for the government
to provide countermeasures to safeguard against damages that arise from opening
the market.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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