Critics see double standard in Korea, U.S. trade talks

Posted on : 2007-03-14 15:29 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
U.S. standards are applied to Korean system without question, civic groups say

With the slated April 2 deadline for a free trade agreement (FTA) between South Korea and the U.S just a few weeks away, all eyes are now focused on how the governments of the two nations will persuade their citizens to accept a free trade deal which could affect many people’s daily lives.

As talks draw to an end, U.S. trade negotiators seem more swayed by opinions of lawmakers and businesspeople in that country, with objections made to the South Korean negotiating team to the tune of, ‘This cannot be done due to fierce opposition from local companies and Congress,’ or, ‘That is not possible, since it would require revision of U.S. law.’

Kim Jong-hoon, the top South Korean trade negotiator, confirmed the domestic pressure that his U.S. counterparts are feeling.

"It seems that [top U.S. trade negotiator] Wendy Culter feels heavy pressure from the Democrat-led Congress, and U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab is also under fire from lawmakers," Kim said.

However, South Korean workers and businesspeople in key industries that would be affected by the trade deal feel left out in the cold. A South Korean official in the textile industry - one of the key negotiating areas - expressed confusion as to the direction in which the overall talks are heading, as, in contrast to the U.S., the Korean government is still remaining mum on the results of its negotiations.

South Korean negotiators have also been under fire from critics for allegedly recycling rationales that the U.S. negotiators have used to persuade their Korean counterparts to accept the deal. For example, Kim once called non-tariff barriers, such as South Korea’s auto emissions-related tax rules and technology standards, "discriminatory." This is the exact expression the U.S. side has used during the talks to try to persuade the Korean team to give in on the barriers.

In addition, Korea’s negotiators are seen by critics as having handed the gauntlet over to the U.S. side in terms of influence over the proceedings. On March 12, when South Korea and the U.S. concluded their eighth round of talks here in Seoul, Kim’s statement at a press briefing, while mentioning the proposed opening of the broadcasting sector, began, "Given U.S. considerations..."

Kim’s press briefing went on to say that local broadcating regulations hamper investment opportunities for U.S. companies by making it hard for them to enter the market here. However, he did not mention the rationale and arguments that the South Korean side holds to support its protection of the local broadcasting industry.

On the subject of reducing the quota on visas issued to professional workers, something which Korea has asked for from the U.S. but has been denied, Kim expressed difficulty in pushing for the issue, citing U.S. immigration laws as the reason, in an attitude that suggests Kim has already accepted U.S. statements that laws cannot be changed in order to push through the FTA, even though many experts have predicted major legal changes will be necessary in Korea for the FTA to take effect here.

"Our negotiators accepted U.S. oppositions revising its laws, but applied a double standard when it comes to revisions of our own regulations, saying they will consider doing so only after striking a deal," read a statement by the civic group People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy.

Unlike U.S. negotiators, who must continually report all of the results of the talks to Congress as stupulated by the law, the South Korean team is not legally obliged to do so. In Korea, it is stupulated that the Minister of Trade report the preceedings to the National Assembly, but this is only by Presidential Decree, not by law. Therefore, Korea lacks binding legislation that would require the negotiating team to report to the National Assembly. Indeed, during the 15-odd talks on an FTA with Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) member nations, a deal which was struck last May, no negotiating outcomes were reported to the National Assembly.

"We do not currently have a law that obliges negotiators to consult with lawmakers...We should discuss introducing a procedural law under which government officials and lawmakers would be able to consult each other in the process of selecting negotiators and during the negotiations themselves," said Lee Hae-young, a professor of Hanshin University.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

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