FOREIGN POLICY/SOUTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS: “U. S. and South Korean negotiators will meet next week in Seoul to potentially amend a five-year-old trade agreement, which President Donald Trump has called ‘horrible’ and blamed for a larger American trade deficit.
The agreement, known as Korus FTA—which has been in place since 2012—has been a source of tension between the U.S. and South Korea. Mr. Trump has said he would either renegotiate or terminate the deal, which he says has led to American job losses.
Korean researchers who monitor trade with the U.S. say Washington may want tweaks to the trade deal, rather than a deep renegotiation, given the often conflicting interests of individual industries. In addition, the Trump administration is focused more on addressing trade issues with Canada, Mexico and China.
On Friday, South Korea’s trade ministry confirmed U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer’s overnight announcement that both sides will engage in talks starting on Aug. 22, with Mr. Lighthizer in Washington and Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong in Seoul via a videoconference.”
-Kwanwoo Jun, “U.S., South Korea to Meet on Trade Deal Next Week,” The Wall Street Journal online, Aug. 17, 2017 11:08pm