- 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
19-Nov-2008
Korea Times
President Lee Myung-bak called Tuesday for the launch of negotiations on a free trade agreement between South Korea and the Southern American Common Market, called MERCOSUR, involving Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil. In a separate interview with a Peruvian newspaper, Lee said he would declare the beginning of free trade negotiations with Peru.
31-Oct-2008
A free trade agreement (FTA) between South Korea and Cambodia will go into effect as of November, the government said Friday.
22-Sep-2008
Yonhap
"The aim of the talks will be to ensure the greatest possible protection for sensitive items, so that if a CEPA pact is signed, the fallout for local farmers can be minimized," a Korean ministry official said. He added that talks are entering the home stretch.
18-Sep-2008
KBS
South Korea and India will resume trade talks next week in Seoul to sign an economic cooperation agreement.
12-Sep-2008
Xinhua
South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the country has started assessing the impact of free-trade agreement (FTA) with Turkey, and is also seriously considering to start formal talks for FTA with Peru, Korea Herald reported Thursday.
2-Aug-2008
Korean negotiators say talks with Indian officials to strike a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement produced considerable progress.
30-Jul-2008
Xinhua
South Korea will push forward bilateral free trade agreements as the global trade talks under the World Trade Organization finished without progress, South Korean Deputy Trade Minister Ahn Ho-young said Wednesday
20-Jul-2008
Daily Yomiuri
Talks between Japan and South Korea on resuming negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement have been postponed indefinitely after Seoul said it was unhappy over a reference to the Takeshima islets in school handbooks
9-Jul-2008
AFP
South Korea and six Gulf states agreed Wednesday to forge a free trade deal by the end of next year, a chief negotiator from the Seoul side said.
8-Jul-2008
Yonhap
South Korea and India have held five rounds of CEPA (comprehensive economic partnership agreement) negotiations thus far, but the pact — which is similar to a free trade agreement — has yet to be concluded due to remaining disputes over rules of origin, services and agricultural trade.
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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