Leaders Reiterate Early FTA Ratification
By Kim Yon-se
Staff Reporter
President-elect Lee Myung-bak called on President Roh Moo-hyun Monday to closely coordinate with the National Assembly to ratify the free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States before Roh's term expires.
Lee stressed the ratification during a meeting with Roh at Cheong Wa Dae. The meeting was their first this year since they discussed similar issues on Dec. 28 at the presidential office.
``Ahead of Roh's retirement and Lee's taking office, they reviewed major state affairs and transition processes over internal systems of the presidential office,'' Roh's spokesman Cheon Ho-seon said.
Cheon said their agenda included ratification of the Korean-U.S. FTA during the National Assembly session which ends on Feb. 26; easing quarantine rules on U.S. beef imports; and early passage of the bills on government reorganization.
The spokesman said, however, the two leaders have not reached any agreement on pending issues.
The meeting was arranged as the pro-government United Democratic Party (UDP) is moving to boycott the FTA ratification until after the April 9 parliamentary elections.
In addition, the Roh administration plans to hand over the unresolved commerce issue of U.S. beef imports to the next government, government sources said.
Asked why the President and President-elect reiterated the FTA and U.S. beef issues again, as they did on Dec. 28, spokesman Cheon said, ``It could be interpreted as a continuous message urging fast ratification to the National Assembly.''
But it seems that Lee did not ask concrete questions about U.S. beef, he said. ``As far as I know, Roh just expressed his opinion over the issue.''
Sources said Lee is trying to avert the political burden of parliamentary ratification during his tenure. Skeptics say the next President does not want to see losses in seats of the Grand National Party (GNP) in the general elections,''
Cheon said there will be ``no renegotiation'' on the automobiles and beef sector of the FTA, downplaying the indirect pressure by U.S. Democratic presidential hopeful Illinois Senator Barack Obama.
Regarding the government reorganization bills, Roh and Lee shared the view that the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries should be merged with the Ministry of Construction and Transportation.
But Cheon said that Roh only agreed that the logistics sector of the maritime ministry should be merged with the transportation ministry.
``Roh does not support the idea of the combining functions of the ministries,'' he said.