Korea-U.S. FTA

The Koreans aren't just going to give away concessions on autos and beef,

... they're going to want something in return.

The Dong-a Ilbo (New strategies prepared for next month`s FTA talks with US) reports that on Wednesday in Seoul, "a high-ranking official at the Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry" gave some hints about the Korean wish list:

The new plan is known to include the protection of Korea’s relatively vulnerable pharmaceuticals and agricultural markets. On pharmaceuticals, Seoul will ask Washington to delay by 18 months a ban on the sale of reproduced American drugs in Korea before the patents expire for the original drugs.

The Korean government will also strengthen safeguard measures for agricultural products.

In addition, adjustment of what Korean opposition parties call “poison pill” clauses is under review. These include the negative list system for services allowing the opening of all service products except those specifically prohibited and a ratchet clause that bars going back to pre-free trade deal days.

Seoul, however, will not exclude the maligned investor-state dispute settlement clause, which allows a private investor to legally challenge a host government`s public policy.

Christine Ahn's Five Myths

Christine Ahn prepared the leaflet Debunking Five Myths aboutthe Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (Korus FTA) for the progressive/left, Oakland Institute.

The five myths:

KORUS FTA and Drugs

Sungjoon Cho of the Chicago-Kent Law School has reservations about the pharmaceutical provisions of the Korea-U.S. FTA agreement: Is a Free Trade Agreement a Royal Road To Prosperity? Demystifying Trade Regional. This is one of the papers prepared for the Korea Economic Institute workshop on Static and Dynamic Consequences of a KORUS FTA last May.

Cho's larger theme is the shortcomings of a bilateral, as opposed to multilateral, approach to reducing trade barriers. 

Amongst other things, bilateral negotiations give lthe U.S. scope to push for things that would be more difficult to get in a mulitlateral forum.  One of these things is a watering down of its multilateral commitments on intellectual property:

KORUS and Korean health care - a critical view

Sean Flynn of the Washington School of Law at American University, and Mike Palmedo of CPTech, provided preliminary thoughts on the draft agreement on May 25, when the text was released: PIJIP Comments on the Korus FTA Pharmaceuticals and IP Chapters. (the PIJIP is the Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property at the Washington School).

Four or five pages argue that: