By Kim Hyun-cheol
Staff Reporter
Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon departed for the United States Friday on two missions _ the first to get a concession from the United States on the bilateral beef deal and a tougher one that shows his dissatisfied compatriots that the Lee Myung-bak government cares for their health as well as their pride.
Even for the seasoned trade negotiator, who played a key role in the settlement of a free trade agreement with the United States, this double mission will be difficult to attain.
Kim will join and head the South Korean delegation for a round of ministry-level discussions with their U.S. counterpart, headed by U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab.
Seoul made it clear its bottom line is to seek to endorse self-regulation from exporters and importers in both countries on restrictions of beef from animals 30 months or older, as Cheong Wa Dae said the government will make a "renegotiation-like'' practical purpose in the additional talks.
In Thursday's briefing, Kim was pessimistic on a renegotiation, which could revise the written agreement, saying, "there are many other ways to practically mend its details."
On the same day, the minister said on a television show that he is skeptical of achieving a renegotiation many civic groups and protestors urge.
"We need a reality check at this point about if it's really worth all the trade retaliation expected," Kim said in "100-Minute Debate."
"A renegotiation is possible if the counterpart accepts (the demand for that), but the United States has made it clear several times it is not in favor of it. In that circumstance, all we can do to hold back the agreement is scrap it, which will inevitably lead to more serious problems."
For the minister, this is his biggest duty since April last year, when he led the Korean delegation as a chief negotiator in signing the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA).
The sharp-eyed official, often described as a "samurai" due to his high competitive spirit, got promoted to trade chief of the nation thanks to his pivotal role throughout the negotiation process. Still, this is a hard mission for the veteran negotiator.
The biggest problem is that the outcome of the talks, with no deadline, is completely unpredictable. It is also not sure what the reaction from the general public will be like even if the delegation generates consequences practically equal to a renegotiation as pledged.
What makes it tantalizing for him is that the beef talks this time are directly tied to the current impasse of the FTA due to backlashes from legislative bodies from both countries. A failure in the additional negotiations this time also means a failure in his previous work for the FTA.
Governments of South Korea and the United States assure the resumption of U.S. beef imports and the KORUS FTA are two different issues. The former, however, has been recognized in both countries as a precondition, or even political bait, for the latter.
Now, as the beef issue is in stalemate, there are concerns that it could put the FTA in limbo.
This time, Kim is also in need of more strength than ever personally. He is currently in mourning for his mother, who passed away on June 2, while he was away in Peru for a different mission.
"All in all, it's really a hard nut to crack," said an official of the negotiation headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on condition of anonymity.
"It's not easy to come up with solutions in many ways. This additional negotiation is likely to be tougher than the FTA one."
hckim@koreatimes.co.kr
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[단독] 르노삼성, 본사 모델로 한국 공략
