(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The vast majority of people in South Korea want their country to reconsider the terms of a potential free trade deal with the United States, according to a poll by Research Plus published in The Hankyoreh. 78.2 per cent of respondents think it is necessary to renegotiate the bilateral pact before it is officially enacted.

South Korea and the U.S. signed a free trade deal in June 2007. The agreement has yet to be ratified by the legislatures in both countries.

Last month, the South Korean government agreed to resume beef imports from the U.S. American beef had been banned in the Asian country due to fears that it might be contaminated with mad cow disease. Critics accused the South Korean government of ignoring a health risk by reopening the imports to secure the passing of the free trade deal in Washington.

On May 22, South Korean president Lee Myung-bak tried to appease public outcry over the issue, calling the concerns over the commerce agreement "groundless" and "heartbreaking." Opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) spokesperson Cha Young declared: "President Lee failed to present an actual solution to the ongoing concerns and his apology didn’t even seem honest."

On May 26, thousands of protesters gathered in Seoul and asked the government to "nullify the agreement."

Polling Data

Do you think it is necessary to renegotiate the free trade agreement with the United States?

Source: Research Plus / The Hankyoreh
Methodology: Interviews with 1,000 South Korean adults, conducted on May 24, 2008. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

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