Yonhap News, Seoul
Seoul's negotiator welcomes USTR's comments rejecting amendments to FTA
By Lee Dong-min
30 June 2007
WASHINGTON, June 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's trade negotiator on Saturday welcomed his U.S. counterpart's remarks ruling out amendments to the just-signed free trade agreement (FTA), saying they were a clear message to Congress.
Amb. Kim Jong-hoon, who headed the FTA negotiations for the Seoul side, said his government on its own would start lobbying efforts to muster U.S. legislative support for the trade pact.
Seoul and Washington sealed the FTA talks by officially signing the agreement earlier Saturday, just half a day short of the expiration of the trade promotion authority. The authority requires the Congress to vote only yes or no on an FTA once it is signed, without seeking revisions.
At the signing ceremony, U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab said she is aware of some who insist on altering the agreement.
"But I want to affirm that this agreement, once signed, will stand on its own, without amendment," she said.
"Once the myths our critics have already started to spread are dismantled, the (Korea-U.S.) FTA will attract broad support," she said.
Kim welcomed the comments as unequivocal.
"They were a message to the Congress," he told reporters.
Despite strong support by those who see geopolitical benefits in the FTA, others charge that the deal fails to level the playing field for some American industries. The harshest criticism deals with the auto sector, especially by congressmen who represent major car-manufacturing states such as Michigan.
Kim reaffirmed that the U.S. administration did not demand changes in the auto sector or other criticized sectors during the past weeks of negotiations. They focused only on incorporating the U.S. trade policy set forth by the new Democrat-controlled Congress, he said.
"There was no exchange of (views) on autos, beef or rice," said Kim, referring to some of the contentious issues in the talks.
The negotiator said South Korea would employ lobbyists to obtain congressional backing for the trade agreement, but did not elaborate.
Legislative ratification in both countries remains uncertain, although supporters are said to outnumber opponents in South Korea. Experts see opposition in the U.S. as more politically motivated rather than based on economic logic.
Kim expected the U.S. administration to begin gauging Congress from as early as this fall.
"The administration is not likely to submit the FTA to the Congress until it is sure it has enough votes. The first vote counting is probably going to take place in the fall," he said.
Once the White House presents the final FTA text, the Congress must vote on it within 90 legislative days.
