New Poll Results Show Support for FTA in Korea

A poll conducted for the Hankook Ilbe shows that two-thirds of Koreans support ratification of the proposed trade agreement with the U.S.: Two-Thirds of Koreans Back FTA With US (Kim Sue-young, The Korea Times, June 8, 2008):

According to the poll conducted by the Hankook Ilbo, a sister newspaper of The Korea Times, on the occasion of the 54th anniversary of its founding, 31.6 percent of 1,000 respondents said the Assembly should ratify a motion on the FTA as soon as possible.

About 35.1 percent supported a parliamentary approval for the FTA on the condition that the U.S. Congress passes a motion, said the survey.

Nineteen percent called for rejection, while 14.3 percent remained undecided.

The poll found a lot less support for the current version of the beef agreement:

The survey found that 55.5 percent of the people want a complete renegotiation while 14.3 percent said the nation should adjust the deal if mad cow disease is reported in the U.S.

Those calling for a wait-and-see attitude accounted for 14.2 percent but they claimed revising the accord is necessary if the nation is found to be at disadvantageous compared to Japan and Taiwan which will hold talks to import American beef soon.

This doesn't add up to 100%.  The article is a little confusing about some poll results, perhaps because of translation issues.