The leaders of Korea and the United States are getting together next week in Washington.
Observers say security is certain to top the agenda at the summit given the troubling North Korea situation.

However the bilateral free trade agreement signed two years ago after about a year of negotiations is also expected to be a key agenda issue.

Seoul's Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon says the deal has a significance that goes beyond boosted commerce.

[Interview : Kim Jong-hoon, Trade Minister] "There is another strong convergence of views between the two leaders that this agreement is important not only from the economic view point but also in such a broader sense, including strengthening bilateral alliance and even in global strategy."

When the two leaders met back in April at the G20 financial summit they agreed on the mutual benefit the deal would bring.

However the Barack Obama administration and more vocally some congressional Democrats have been expressing dissatisfaction with the automobile section of the deal calling it imbalanced.

They say the deal doesn't do enough to open the Korean market to American cars and also would like to add stricter labor and environmental standards to the agreed version of the deal.

Seoul maintains renegotiation is not an option.

[Interview : Kim Jong-hoon, Trade Minister] "I read and read again and again that chapter of agreement. But, frankly I really could not understand what's really wrong with that. Because in the chapter, we dealt with many things including tariff reduction, and non-tariff, even about future tariff and very strong dispute settlement procedure."

And in Korea the politically-charged legislative body is also haggling over how to handle the deal.
Opposition Democratic Party lawmakers are against ratification emphasizing the need for support measures for industries such as agriculture that stand to be harmed by the opening of markets.
The deal once in effect will be the biggest for the US after the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994.

Kang Che-ry, Arirang News.


출 처: 아리랑TV   09/6/12