Is There an Alternative to the Korea-US FTA?
Former Uri Party chairman Kim Geun-tae began a hunger strike on Tuesday protesting the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement. Kim has been saying if the government is thinking about finalizing an FTA deal by the end of March according to the present terms, they’ll have to do it “over my dead body.” And living up to his pledge, Kim is throwing his body on the negotiating table to halt the talks, which are in their final stage. Former justice minister Chung Jung-bae also started a hunger strike on Monday, saying he could not entrust the country’s future on a group of inept negotiators. These people, who are seeking to lead Korea in the 21st century by running for the December presidential election, have turned to the radical protest methods of yesteryear.
Other presidential hopefuls and potential candidates of the ruling camp are either opposed to or have voiced reservations about an FTA with the United States. Former Uri Party chairman Chung Dong-young has said, “If you assess the results of FTA talks so far, it has been a minus for Korea.” When she was prime minister, Uri Party lawmaker Han Myung-sook said, “Market-liberalization is not a choice, but a necessity.” Nowadays her attitude is quite different. She says she would like to discuss the issue after she looks at the content of the negotiations. Former Seoul National University president Chung Un-chan feels the talks should be extended to 2008 or 2009, saying that an FTA deal being pursued without proper preparations would lead to more harm than good.
Citing a lack of preparation by the Korean side, these opponents to the FTA insist the talks should be passed on to the next administration. But there have been no cases in the world where a country signed an FTA deal after having already made all the necessary preparations. By opening markets, industries become more competitive. And those that are not competitive are weeded out. That is why FTA deals are signed.
The real reason why these presidential candidates are raising their voices to oppose an FTA is because they believe they can win more votes in December, rather than their concern for the country’s future. The combined approval ratings of all of the anti-FTA candidates are less than 10 percent. They know this will not do, so they are trying to rally support from the Left by waving the anti-FTA banner.
Lawmaker and former finance minister Kang Bong-kyun said Tuesday that politicians who are against an FTA in the name of the country’s future should then propose a plan that would turn Korea into an advanced nation without necessitating market opening measures. That is the question the anti-FTA candidates should be answering.
