Parliamentary committee approves FTA with U.S. for plenary voting

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with quotes, more details)
SEOUL, April 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's parliamentary committee on Wednesday
passed a bill to ratify a free trade agreement with the United States, sending it
to a plenary session for final approval despite protests from opposition
lawmakers.
Seoul and Washington signed the free trade deal in June 2007, but its
ratification has been delayed by opposition in both countries. The deal, the
biggest for the U.S. since the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994, must
be ratified by the legislative bodies of both countries to take effect.
The approval was announced by Rep. Park Jin, the chairman of the National
Assembly's Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification Committee, in the face of
physical resistance by opposition lawmakers trying to disrupt the session.
Officials of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) said the party will attempt to
bring the Korea-U.S. FTA bill to a plenary session vote after reviewing the
outcome of a summit between South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and his U.S.
counterpart Barack Obama slated for June in Washington.
Lee and Obama agreed during their meeting in London early this month to cooperate
in securing legislative approval of their so-called KORUS FTA.
"We plan to proceed with the bill only at the committee level during parliament's
April session," Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, floor leader of the GNP, told Yonhap News
Agency over the phone.
The endorsement came amid protests from opposition lawmakers who claim the free
trade deal with the U.S. is premature due to the absence of sufficient safeguards
for domestic industries and farmers, and that Seoul should wait until Washington
becomes more favorable toward the agreement.
Prior to the approval, around a dozen opposition lawmakers held a press
conference in front of the committee chamber, demanding further review of
potential damages and safeguard measures for the agricultural, medical service
and other sectors.
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)