Edward M. Graham: Reforming Korea's Industrial Conglomerates
William W. Lewis: The Power of Productivity: Wealth, Poverty, and the Threat to Global Stability
Chapter 5 discusses sectoral productivity in Korea.
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Victoria McGrane reviews the prospects for Congressional approval: Future uncertain for U.S.-Korea FTA (Politico, April 29) and surveys the parties ranged on either side of the debate. Much of the emphasis is on the auto industry.
Eui In Hwang, Yoo Geun Lim and Ji Hyun Kim of Bae, Kim and Lee list the key implications of the Korea-U.S. trade agreement for Korean law dealing with patents, trademarks, copyright, and judicial and administrative procedures related to intellectual property law: South Korea: Prospective Changes In The Korean Intellectual Property Law Pursuant To The Korea - US Free Trade Agreement (April 23).
Korea's National Assembly has begun a final session to consider a number of pieces of legislation, including the trade agreement: Parliamentary session opens amid FTA tension (Shin Hae-in, Yonhap News, April 25). The Lee Administration hopes to get the trade agreement passed; opposition parties apparently hope to use the session as a forum to criticize the recent beef deal.
President Lee has asked for a meeting with leaders of both key parties in the National Assembly to brief them on his summits in the U.S. and Japan, and to make the case for the Assembly to take up the trade agreement in May: Lee to meet Assembly leaders Thursday over FTA (Yoo Cheong-mo, Yonhap News, April 23):
Back in Seoul following his summit with the U.S. President, Korean President Lee is calling for a special session of the National Assembly in May to ratify the trade agreement: Lee urges parliament to approve KORUS FTA in May (Korea.net, April 22). Assembly elections were just held on April 9, and Lee's party won a majority in the new Assembly. But that Assembly won't meet until June.
James Morrisey, Washington correspondent for Textile World, notes (Korea Beef Concession Not Enough To Clear The Proposed FTA, April 22):
US textile manufacturers are opposed to the Korean agreement because Korea has a large, well-developed textile industry that already exports a significant amount of textiles and clothing to the United States, and unlike the case with some other FTAs, they do not see any market opportunities for US products. They also are concerned that the agreement, as currently written, does not provide for effective Customs enforcement. They point out that the Korean agreement could undercut some of the benefits of the Central America-Dominican Republic, Andean nation and North America FTAs, which they do feel are beneficial to US textile manufacturers.
On Thursday and Friday Korea and the U.S. reached agreement on two issues related to, but not part, of the trade agreement: Korean restrictions on U.S. beef imports, and Korean eligibility to participate in the U.S. visa waiver program. This should eliminate an important barrier to Congressional consideration of the trade agreement, and should improve the atmospherics in both countries
However, Congressional Democrats still don't seem unduly enthusiastic:
Continue reading "Congressional Democrats Remain Unenthusiastic" »
The U.S. and Korea reached an agreement on U.S. visa waivers for Korean citizens: MOU signed to allow South Koreans visa-free travel to US (AFP, April 18):
Korea has agreed to reopen its beef market. Gregg Hitt reports for the Wall Street Journal: U.S., South Korea Announce Deal To End Ban on U.S. Beef Exports (April 18):
Korean and U.S. negotiators began meeting last Friday. Today's Chosun Ilbo suggests a deal is imminent: Korea, U.S. Close to Beef Agreement (April 17, 2008).
