Parties lock horns over scrapping of free trade deal
By Chung Min-uck
The free trade agreement with the United States (KORUS FTA) has emerged as a key campaign issue ahead of the April 11 general election as the ruling and opposition parties lock horns over whether to scrap the deal.
The trade pact was approved by the legislatures of both countries last year and is poised to take effect soon.
Senior lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) criticized Park Geun-hye, chairwoman of the ruling Saenuri Party’s emergency leadership committee Tuesday, for her remarks holding the DUP accountable for the trade deal.
“Park disregards the fact that there has been a shift in the situation regarding the KORUS FTA in 2007 and 2010. She is probably trying to distort the truth,” said Kim Jin-pyo, floor leader of the DUP during a meeting of senior members.
Kim’s remark comes after Park stood firm on the trade accord Monday, recalling that the KORUS FTA was signed under the Roh Moo-hyun administration. Park also claimed that those who have shifted their position on the issue “should not be allowed to run the country.”
Many DUP members including party Chairwoman Han Myeong-sook were key Cabinet members back in 2007 when late President Roh signed the pact.
Regarding its reversal, the DUP insists that the pact lost balance after renegotiations in 2010 under the Lee Myung-bak administration.
Campaign watchers say both parties are trying to take advantage of the issue to gain the upper hand in the upcoming general election.
The opposition party’s move is an apparent attempt to woo liberal voters and help consolidate its coalition with other leftist parties. In contrast, the troubled ruling party aims to gather conservatives as the elections approach by standing firm on its previous position.
In related news, President Lee warned parties not to politicize issues concerning the national interest. “Though we are at election time, decisions that are against constitutional values and the market economy, or that can hurt the national interest and impose a burden on future generations should be avoided,” Lee said during a Cabinet meeting, according to presidential spokesman Park Jeong-ha Tuesday.
“The opposition party’s delivering of letters calling for the suspension of the free trade accord taking effect is an act of hurting the nation’s prestige.”
Last week, the DUP together with the minor United Progressive Party sent letters to U.S. President Barrack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and John Boehner, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, urging them to stop the effectuation of the pact.
The main opposition party earlier pledged to scrap the pact if it takes power by winning both the general and presidential elections this year unless Washington agrees to hold renegotiations to revise some clauses that it says are unfavorable to Korea.
Despite the arguments, the U.S. government last Thursday reaffirmed that it remains firmly on track to implement the FTA as early as possible.
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