The South Korean government on Friday presented a free trade agreement inked with the United States to its National Assembly for approval, according to DPA. Prime Minister Han Duck Soo called for the legislature to pass it as soon as possible. The pact, which must also be passed by the US Congress, would be "a touchstone for strengthening our economic fundamentals and advancing our administrative competitiveness," Han said. Experts expressed doubts about whether the agreement could be passed by the end of the year. Although a majority of lawmakers from the governing side as well as the opposition expressed support for the trade pact, a presidential election looms in December and politics would become unpredictable, they said. In addition, a group of 80 Assembly members from rural areas demanded a review of the treaty. Opposition to the agreement is high in South Korea among farmers and a large number of workers who fear that opening South Korea's markets and importing cheaper goods would lead to the loss of jobs. The two countries agreed in April to a trade pact to remove tariffs and other trade barriers after 10 months of intensive negotiations. For the United States, it would be the biggest trade agreement since 1994's North American Free Trade Agreement, which it signed with Mexico and Canada.
