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Two U.S. Congressmen -- Charles Rangel, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Sander Levin, chairman of the trade subcommittee -- have written to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to call for renegotiations of the U.S. free trade agreement with Korea. The letter urges new talks with Korea on systematic barriers in automobiles, industrial products, agricultural and service markets.
This is the second time the U.S. has raised objections to the Korea-U.S. FTA, following a call for renegotiations on the environment and labor. These requests for renegotiations go against the general principles of negotiations and international norms.
Turn your computer on right now and go to the website of the USTR. For two months the website has carried a message from the U.S. government boasting of the conclusion of the FTA. Clearly the U.S. government is satisfied with the deal. What country in the world would trust or sit down with the U.S. if it raises the possibility of renegotiations because of some congressmen's objections?
The existing Korea-U.S. FTA was reached only after both sides took strenuous pains to find a balance between each other's interests. Trying to unilaterally redesign the agreement to their advantage is tantamount to attempting to break the backbone of the trade pact. And the moment the U.S. shifts the burden of fresh negotiations onto Korea's shoulders, the deal will go to pieces.
As the U.S. plainly saw, the Korean government was harassed throughout the FTA talks, not just by interest groups that had stakes in the deal, but also by ideological organizations that sought to exploit the FTA to further their anti-American campaigns. If the U.S., which saw these events take place, acts on those congressional calls for renegotiations, it will drive Korea once again into a whirlpool of trade bickering and anti-American activism.
With only a few months left before Korea's presidential election, there will arise fierce opposition from the interest groups opposed to the FTA, and from political parties and ideological groups who would try to take advantage of the call for renegotiations for their election strategies.
Under these circumstances, the Korean government is not strong enough to renegotiate. Besides, it wouldn't be able to win parliamentary approval for a renegotiated deal. At present, it's impossible to know if it can win parliamentary approval for the existing deal. Many former members of the ruling camp have withdrawn their support for the agreement, and the opposition parties are unlikely to ratify it at the risk of losing votes.
At this moment, these greedy requests for renegotiations mean the U.S. doesn't care if the FTA goes to pieces or not. The Korean government should bring the U.S., in a calm, dignified manner, to its senses concerning the unreasonableness of those calls for renegotiations.
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