Trade minister reaffirms no renegotiation of U.S. FTA

South Korea's top trade official said Thursday that his country will not renegotiate the free trade agreement (FTA) with the U.S., calling any possible reopening of talks on the pact "unrealistic." The accord, known as the KORUS FTA, was signed in June 2007, but the deal was supplemented in late December of last year with minor modifications that mostly deal with the auto industry. The agreement has been awaiting approval from the legislatures of the two countries. South Korea's opposition parties, led by the Democratic Party, have been pressing the government to renegotiate the deal as they claim the pact does not reflect a balance of interests, and come up with more support measures for the agriculture and other sectors.