What did President Lee Jae Myung order regarding South Korea’s possible CPTPP membership?

President Lee ordered the government to restart discussions from scratch on whether South Korea should join the CPTPP. He directed officials not to rush toward a predetermined conclusion and to build trust and shared understanding with farmers and fishermen.

What are the projected economic effects of South Korea joining the CPTPP?

Government projections estimate that South Korea’s GDP would grow by 0.38 percentage point over 10 years after joining the CPTPP. Manufacturing production could rise by as much as 6.7 trillion won per year for 15 years.

Why are South Korean farmers and fishermen concerned about CPTPP membership?

Farmers and fishermen oppose membership because increased trade under the CPTPP is projected to reduce production in the agricultural and fisheries sectors by approximately 850 billion won annually. The government therefore plans to restart discussions while accounting for their concerns.

Lee orders renewed discussions on possible membership to CPTPP

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Summary

President Lee Jae Myung instructed the government Tuesday at Cheong Wa Dae to restart discussions on whether South Korea should join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). He called for conversations with farmers and fishermen to begin from scratch without rushing toward a fixed conclusion. The 12-member trade pact could raise South Korea’s GDP by 0.38 percentage point over 10 years and manufacturing production by up to 6.7 trillion won annually, while reducing agricultural and fisheries production by about 850 billion won per year.

Key Facts

The CPTPP includes 12 countries, including Japan, Mexico, Australia, Canada and Vietnam, whose combined economies accounted for about 15.2 percent of global trade in 2019.
President Lee gave the instruction during the closed-door portion of a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae.
A government projection estimates that manufacturing production could increase by up to 6.7 trillion won ($4.99 billion) annually for 15 years after membership.
The same projection estimates annual production declines of approximately 850 billion won in the agricultural and fisheries sectors.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 6, 2026 5:08 pm KST

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung instructed the government Tuesday to start over discussions on whether South Korea should join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) amid opposition from farmers and fishermen.

Lee gave the order during the closed-door portion of a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, referring to the major Indo-Pacific trade agreement comprising 12 countries, including Japan, Mexico, Australia, Canada and Vietnam. Together, the member countries accounted for about 15.2 percent of global trade in 2019.

"President Lee said there are opinions that the CPTPP's strategic value is important at a time of profound change in the international trade order, as well as opinions that the farming and fishing industries have great concerns," presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing.

"He stressed that policies should be pursued by calculating the national interest based on trust and shared understanding among farmers and fishermen, and ordered starting over conversations from scratch without rushing toward a fixed conclusion," she said.

According to a government projection released last month, the country's gross domestic product is estimated to grow by 0.38 percentage point over 10 years following its potential entry into the CPTPP, while production in the manufacturing sector is expected to increase by up to 6.7 trillion won ($4.99 billion) per year for 15 years following its membership.

Production in the agricultural and fisheries sectors, however, is projected to decline by approximately 850 billion won annually.

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