| From The Korea Times 3rd Feb. 2004
S. Korea-Chile FTA Likely to Be Ratified
By Yoo Dong-ho Staff ReporterNational Assembly Speaker Park Kwan-yong on Tuesday agreed with party leaders to seek quick approval for several long-delayed bills, including those on the South Korea-Chile free trade agreement (FTA) and the dispatch of troops to Iraq. "Speedy parliamentary approval of the bills is deemed particularlyimportant for the national interests and investor confidence,Park said after the agreement was reached during a lunch with the party leaders. Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) chairman Chough Soon-hyung didnt attend the meeting because he was in Kwangju for anti-President Roh Moo-hyun demonstrations.The Assembly speakers remark comes ahead of the 272-member legislatures re-examination of the Chile FTA on Monday. Park also promised to appeal to the public to back the trade deal. "With local farmersresistance to the FTA still lingering, legislators may have to sit up all night to tackle the bill.Majority Grand National Party (GNP) chairman Choe Byung-yul echoed his sentiments. "Both the government and our party have done their utmost to listen to farmersconcerns over the FTA. Our party will now take the initiative in approving the trade pact.Pro-government Uri Party chairman Chung Dong-young also vowed to cooperate closely on the pending bills. "No matter what happens, the two bills on FTA and troop dispatch should be approved without fail during the February extraordinary session.United Liberal Democrats leader Kim Jong-pil also held the view thatthe pending bills should be put to a vote for approval. However, touching upon the controversial FTA, Kim added, "The Assembly should persuade farmers and fishermen into accepting the government-led trade accord first.South Korea signed the Chile FTA, its first with any country, in February last year, but its ratification has been delayed twice due to opposition from farmers, as well as legislators from rural constituencies. Under the bilateral agreement, Chile would lift tariffs on South Korean vehicles, computers, TV sets and other electronic goods, while South Korea would remove tariffs on Chilean agricultural and fisheries products. Another decision awaiting the Assemblys final approval on Feb. 9 is the bill on the additional troop dispatch to Iraq.Although the government plan, like the FTA, has faced public outcry,the Assembly is expected to endorse it soon because the 149-strong GNP supports the dispatch. The government finalized its plan late last year to send a 3,000-strong contingent, including combatants, to the northern Iraqi city ofKirkuk in late April. It has already sent some 700 medics and engineers to the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah, and some 460 of them are still stationed there. Meanwhile, the president yesterday made an earnest request to ChangYoung-dal, chairman of the National Assemblys defense committee, for an early and smooth passage of the troop dispatch motion. Having breakfast with Chang at the presidential office of Chong Wa Dae, Roh insisted the motion be given the legislatures stamp without delay so the troops could be sent in late April as planned, presidential spokesperson Yoon Tai-young said in a media briefing."Chairman Chang expressed deep understanding to President Rohs request and promised cooperation in dealing with the matter at the Assembly,Yoon said. Defense Minister Cho Young-kil, for his part, visited Rep. Kim Geun-tae, the Uri Partys floor leader, following his courtesy call on the Assembly speaker the previous day.
Sohi Jeon,
International Coordinator,
Korean People's Action against FTA & WTO (KoPA)
4th Fl., Shinseong Building,
8-48 Galwoldong, Yongsanku,
Seoul, Korea, 136-701
http://antiwto.jinbo.net | kopa@jinbo.net
Tel: +82-2-778-4007 | Fax: +82-2-778-4006
Mobile: +82-11-9072-5782
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