South Korea has accepted a U.S. demand to amend a bilateral free trade agreement as the two sides are set to formally sign the deal by the end of this month.
"The government had agreed with the U.S. to change parts of the agreement to include tougher labor and environmental standards," Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said in a breakfast meeting with senior journalists Friday.
"If the amendments aren't reflected in the agreement, the South Korea-U.S. FTA may not be endorsed by the U.S. Congress," Han was quoted as saying in a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
"South Korea also decided to accept the U.S. demand to block further requests by the U.S. Congress on automobiles, rice and other items," he said