By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter

Two-thirds of people think the National Assembly should approve a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States, a survey said Sunday.

According to the poll conducted by the Hankook Ilbo, a sister newspaper of The Korea Times, on the occasion of the 54th anniversary of its founding, 31.6 percent of 1,000 respondents said the Assembly should ratify a motion on the FTA as soon as possible.

About 35.1 percent supported a parliamentary approval for the FTA on the condition that the U.S. Congress passes a motion, said the survey.

Nineteen percent called for rejection, while 14.3 percent remained undecided.

The controversial issue to reopen the domestic beef market to U.S. products was a major concern for the people as they picked a resolution calling for renegotiation with Washington over the beef deal as the top mission of the Assembly whose four-year term began May 30.

Forty-five percent said the legislature has to decide whether or not to adopt the resolution.

Some 22.8 percent asked for more social welfare measures for the low-income bracket.

Ratification of the trade agreement placed third with 13.5 percent.

The 299-member unicameral legislature has failed to hold the opening ceremony as opposition parties boycotted the Assembly and blocked ratification of the FTA, demanding that the Lee government renegotiate the beef import deal with the United States to toughen import regulations.

The survey found that 55.5 percent of the people want a complete renegotiation while 14.3 percent said the nation should adjust the deal if mad cow disease is reported in the U.S.

Those calling for a wait-and-see attitude accounted for 14.2 percent but they claimed revising the accord is necessary if the nation is found to be at disadvantageous compared to Japan and Taiwan which will hold talks to import American beef soon.

Meanwhile, major political parties suffered from low popularity.

According to the poll, the governing Grand National Party (GNP) garnered a 35 percent of support even though it won 153 seats, more than a majority in the Assembly, in the April 9 elections.

In last Wednesday's local by-elections, the party gained only nine out of 52 local administration and council seats.

Popularity of the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) still hovered around less than 20 percent, while approval ratings of the Democratic Labor Party and the Liberty Forward Party stood at 2 and 9 percent, respectively.

ksy@koreatimes.co.kr