|
Key issue: Policies to compensate farmers hurt by new U.S. imports
April 25, 2008
|
||||
The leader of the biggest opposition contingent, the United Democratic Party, said he has no objections to Lee’s call to ratify the pending free trade agreement bill before the 2008 National Assembly begins next month, but only if follow-up measures on opening the beef market are guaranteed. “I’m in a difficult situation of trying to tell livestock farmers why we have to ratify these bills,” said Sohn in a Blue House meeting held over lunch yesterday. It’s the first time that the leaders of the Assembly met with the president since he returned from his summit meetings in the U.S. and Japan. “We need follow up policies that can satisfy the industries that will be hurt [if we open the beef market].” Park Sang-cheon, the co-leader of the UDP, said his party is willing to cooperate with the government to approve the Korea-U.S. FTA. But, like Sohn, he wanted first to know what the government intends to do to compensate the industry. “As soon as we know what the follow-up measures are, we are going to approve the FTA,” said Park. Lee agreed, but there was evident tension at the lunch table. He said his liberal predecessor, Roh Moo-hyun, started the talks for the free trade agreement with the United States and that he had merely followed it up. “The negotiation that I made was not ‘rough and ready,’” Lee responded to Sohn’s remarks. “The Roh administration had already agreed that Korea will follow the OIE guidelines.” The OIE, or the World Organization for Animal Health, has categorized American meat as safe for consumption and Washington has been urging Seoul to resume beef imports. Kang Jae-sup, the head of the Grand National Party, said that instead of simply demanding follow-up measures, the UDP members should come up with ideas of their own. “The government and the Assembly together should try to persuade the nation that this is for the best,” said Kang. “Let’s start a productive debate on this issue instead of agitating the public.” But they do not have much time for debate. The one-month extraordinary legislative session convenes today. Nevertheless, the UDP evaluated the lunch meeting as “meaningful.” Cha Young, the UDP spokeswoman, said in a briefing that the president was generally positive about the UDP’s demand and that they were able to bring out a “conversion” from the president. “President Lee, the GNP and the UDP have all agreed that there needs to be strong follow-up measures.” By Lee Min-a Staff Reporter [mina@joongang.co.kr] |
|
