- Negotiations
The government of South Korea has concluded, or is pursuing negotiations for, a number of bilateral free trade and investment agreements. Korean social movements have been mobilizing in opposition to these ever since the Korea-Chile FTA was proposed. So far, South Korea has signed deals with Chile (2004), EFTA (2004), Singapore (2005), ASEAN (2007) the US (2007, ratified in 2011), Peru (2011) and Turkey (2012). Talks are under way with Canada, China, Mexico, India, the EU and, technically speaking, Japan. Negotiations with Colombia have stalled over Colombia’s demands for access for better terms for its fruit and flower exports than what Korea gives Chile and Peru. Seoul is also looking to open discussions with Mercosur, Malaysia, Mexico and possibly Israel.
last update: May 2012
Photo: Joe Mabel / CC BY-SA 3.0
29-Mar-2009
On Wednesday, Korea and Chile will be celebrating the 5th anniversary since they signed the free trade agreement.
15-Mar-2009
Xinhua
South Korea and Peru will start their first round of free trade negotiations in Seoul next week, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Friday.
4-Mar-2009
TVNZ
South Korea’s President Lee Myung-bak Lee will announce the start of formal negotiations towards a free trade agreement with Australia in Canberra on Thursday.
20-Feb-2009
Xinhua
South Korea’s chief free trade negotiator said free trade is essential to break through the current economic slump, South Korea’s Korea Herald said Friday.
13-Feb-2009
Hee-Beom Lee is a fierce free trade advocate who believes there are plenty of opportunities for Korean business people to invest in New Zealand including in critical sectors like dairy.
25-Jan-2009
Korea.net
Korea and Peru agreed to hold the first round of FTA negotiations in March, the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said
12-Jan-2009
South Korea and Japan will hold working-level discussions on resuming their negotiations on free trade agreement (FTA) while working closely to overcome the worldwide financial crisis now threatening both their economies, Yonhap News reported quoting Seoul’s presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae Monday.
10-Dec-2008
Joong Ang Ilbo
Korea wants to offset the expected slowdown in growth next year by expanding free trade pacts with Russia and South America’s Mercosur members, a government official said yesterday.
26-Nov-2008
Xinhua
South Korea’s Trade Ministry said Wednesday that South Korea and Japan will launch working-level meeting next week to seek the resumption of negotiation over free trade agreement (FTA).
22-Nov-2008
President Lee Myung-bak and Peruvian President Alan Garcia agreed yesterday to launch negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement in the first half of next year.
Links
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KoPA is a coalition of around 50 NGOs, social movement organizations, political parties, peasant organizations and trade unions working, among other things, to stop bilateral and regional free trade agreements and the WTO.
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