TWN Info Service on Free Trade Agreements

11 August 2006


Korea unprepared for U.S. FTA talks

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2006/08/10/200608100046.asp

Eight out of ten lawmakers think the government were insufficiently prepared to enter free trade talks with the United States, and criticized them for failing to seek a national consensus before starting negotiations two months ago. That`s the conclusion of a survey by a civic group whose results were released yesterday.

The poll also showed that most of lawmakers think the National Assembly has also failed to seek out public opinion, admitting that they have neglected their duties as the nation`s representatives.

According to the survey by the Citizens` Coalition for Economic Justice, lawmakers also felt that the Assembly failed to inspect the government`s strategies on the free trade talks. CCEJ is one of the nation`s leading civic organizations.

Seventy percent of respondents said the Assembly should exert its influence on the government currently engaged in the FTA negotiations.

Korean lawmakers also said that the government should make public the outcome of the negotiations, or at least inform the National Assembly after it finishes talks with the U.S.

Only 15.9 percent of lawmakers said that a free trade agreement with the U.S. will bring economic prosperity to Korea in the future while more than 60 percent declined to offer an opinion, saying there was insufficient information available on the issue.

Among the total 82 lawmakers who responded the survey, 40 percent were members of the main opposition Grand National Party while 30 percent were from the ruling Uri Party.

(christory@heraldm.com)

By Cho Chung-un

2006.08.10