hankyoreh

Kim Jeong-pil, staff reporter

On Apr. 20, a representative of an American advocacy group warned about the dangers of the South Korean government’s intention to participate in the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP). By luring South Korea into the TPP, the activist said, the US hopes to bring about all of the things that it failed to achieve during the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (KORUS-FTA).

Lori Wallach, 45, director of Global Trade Watch, part of American advocacy group Public Citizen, was in South Korea to attend the International Symposium on the Current Status and Future Prospects of the TPP, which took place at the National Assembly Member’s Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, on Apr. 18.

Public Citizen, which was established by Ralph Nader in 1971, is one of the US’s best-known consumer rights advocacy groups. Wallach is said to have her finger on the pulse of US politics and commerce.

“If there are 100 dishes to eat in Korea, I would say that the US ate 85 of them during the KORUS-FTA. It is hoping to get the remaining 15 dishes through the TPP,” Wallach said in an interview with the Hankyoreh. “For this reason, the number one benefit that the US hopes to gain from the TPP is Japan. The US thinks it has already taken over Korea. While the US would like to squeeze even more out of Korea, it has already eaten the main course. Now, it has knife and fork in hand and is going to dine on Japan.”

According to Wallach, the purpose of the TPP is to create rules for America’s multinational corporations, and South Korea stands to gain nothing economically by participating. There is an advisory committee for the TPP in the Obama administration, and about 600 figures from corporations are lobbying the US government to include conditions favorable to them on the agenda for the negotiations.

“The TPP is an attempt to create conditions that are favorable for large American corporations in Asia, which has a high growth potential,” said Wallach. “Korea will be allowed to join the TPP after the negotiations are complete. But at this point, Korea will have to choose between accepting the results of the negotiations as-is or to opting out. The TPP will have more demands than the KORUS-FTA.”

The TPP requirements related to environmental and technical barriers to trade are much tougher than in the KORUS-FTA. In addition, the TPP negotiations contain rules about state-run companies, which were not part of the KORUS-FTA, something that Wallach expects will cause more trouble for South Korea.

Wallach considers it very likely that the US will use permission to join the TPP as leverage to compel South Korea to implement the terms of the KORUS-FTA. “The US is clearly stating that Korea will not be able to join the TPP if the KORUS-FTA is not implemented to its satisfaction.” Wallach said. “This means that Korea must meet American requirements before it can join the TPP. There are even tougher provisions in the TPP. For example, if there are two pages of requirements about food hygiene in the KORUS-FTA, there are 20 or 30 pages in the TPP. More restrictions and requirements will place a heavier burden on Korea.”

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