US team arrives in South Korea for FTA talks amid protests
Afp, Seoul
US trade negotiator Wendy Cutler arrived Sunday in South Korea for new talks on striking a bilateral free trade pact and was met with immediate protests demanding an end to negotiations. Cutler, assistant US trade representative, called for a "win-win" deal that would benefit both Seoul and Washington upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, west of the South Korean capital, according to Yonhap news agency. But scores of protesters rallied loudly at the airport. "Immediately stop negotiations. The US negotiating team should return home," the protesters said in a statement read at the airport, Yonhap said. The two sides will open a second round of talks aimed at forging a free trade agreement (FTA) for five days from Monday. The talks were first launched in Washington last month. South Korea, Asia's fourth largest economy, is the seventh biggest trade partner of the United States. Bilateral trade reached 72 billion dollars last year, according to foreign ministry data. Both sides hope to conclude the talks in March next year.
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