Yonhap | 6 November 2007
Han says time running out for parliamentary approval of Korea-U.S. FTA
By Yoo Cheong-mo
SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- Prime Minister Han Duck-soo Tuesday urged his Cabinet ministers to redouble their efforts to have the National Assembly ratify the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA) by the end of this year.
"The government submitted the Korea-U.S. FTA motion to the National Assembly on Sept. 7 for its ratification. Two months have since passed, but the FTA motion has yet to be put on the parliamentary agenda," Han said while presiding over a Cabinet meeting at his office.
"The situation is very worrisome. The Cabinet ministers have to make particularly greater efforts to have the National Assembly approve the free trade deal," said the prime minister.
Han's remarks reflected the growing concern in his administration that the presidential election slated for Dec. 19 may divert parliamentary attention away from the FTA deal and other pending bills.
"It is needless to say that the Korea-U.S. FTA is the key to guaranteeing sustained growth of the Korean economy," Han stressed.
Seoul and Washington sealed a bilateral FTA deal in late June, but the legislatures of both countries must ratify the agreement before it takes effect.
During their summit in Sydney in September, President Roh Moo-hyun and U.S. President George W. Bush reconfirmed their decision to push their respective legislative bodies to ratify the Korea-U.S. FTA.
