ISDS Case Map
Korea
President Roh Moo-Hyun said that reaching a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States will be the top priority for his government during his remaining tenure.
South Korea's agriculture minister said Thursday that the country will not include deals on the liberalization of rice and beef imports in the agenda of upcoming free trade talks with the United States.
Some 2,000 South Korean farmers, movie-makers and anti-US activists staged a candlelight protest Friday against free trade negotiations with the United States.
With the government's recent efforts to sign a free trade agreement with the United States drawing intense opposition from farmers here, a top Korean government official said the trade negotiators would try to exempt rice from the economic pact.
President Roh Moo-hyun said Thursday the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA) should not be blocked by some interest groups' resistance.
"Farmers and ranchers will be invited to take part in negotiations from the outset," a Korean agricultural ministry official said.
South Korea's rice industry could suffer a significant drop in earnings and production if the country signs a free trade pact with the United States, even if rice is excluded from the deal, a report said Wednesday.
Improving the quality of locally grown agricultural products will be a key government goal this year as more imports are expected to be sold on the South Korean market, the country's agriculture minister said Monday.
Canberra hopes to reach a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Seoul, Peter Rowe, Australia's new ambassador to South Korea, said on Thursday. He also underlined that the bilateral trade deal would not hurt South Korea's agriculture industry.
Korean business leaders issued a joint statement in support of a Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) yesterday.
