[Ip-health] Korea unprepared for U.S. FTA talks

[heeseob nam]

Korea unprepared for U.S. FTA talks

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2006/08/10/200608100046.asp

Eight out of ten lawmakers think the government were insufficiently
prepared to enter free trade talks with the United States, and
criticized them for failing to seek a national consensus before
starting negotiations two months ago. That`s the conclusion of a
survey by a civic group whose results were released yesterday.

The poll also showed that most of lawmakers think the National
Assembly has also failed to seek out public opinion, admitting that
they have neglected their duties as the nation`s representatives.

According to the survey by the Citizens` Coalition for Economic
Justice, lawmakers also felt that the Assembly failed to inspect the
government`s strategies on the free trade talks.

CCEJ is one of the nation`s leading civic organizations.

Seventy percent of respondents said the Assembly should exert its
influence on the government currently engaged in the FTA negotiations.

Korean lawmakers also said that the government should make public the
outcome of the negotiations, or at least inform the National Assembly
after it finishes talks with the U.S.

Only 15.9 percent of lawmakers said that a free trade agreement with
the U.S. will bring economic prosperity to Korea in the future while
more than 60 percent declined to offer an opinion, saying there was
insufficient information available on the issue.

Among the total 82 lawmakers who responded the survey, 40 percent were
members of the main opposition Grand National Party while 30 percent
were from the ruling Uri Party.

(christory@heraldm.com)

By Cho Chung-un

2006.08.10

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HeeSeob Nam
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