S. Korea, Japan pact may miss deadline

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 | Source: AFP

SEOUL: South Korea and Japan are unlikely to reach a free trade agreement this year because of Tokyo's stalling, South Korean Finance Minister Han Duck-Soo said.

"If Japan maintains its passive attitude toward further liberalization of the agricultural sector for the conclusion of the FTA, I doubt that we will be able to see a positive outcome within this year," Han told journalists

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun had set a goal of working out a free trade agreement (FTA) by the end of 2005.

Seoul is pushing Tokyo to open up its markets to 90 percent for agricultural products while Tokyo is offering only 50 percent to protect its farmers, Han said. -- AFP

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