South Korea has said it will not renegotiate a recently agreed free trade deal with the US.

The comments come amid reports that Washington may seek a number of amendments before ratifying the deal that was agreed on 2 April.

America's chief negotiator for the deal, Wendy Cutler, has been quoted as saying US Congress may want changes on labour rights and the environment.

No-one from the US trade department was immediately available for comment.

The deal aims to remove or lower tariffs on everything from cars to agricultural products, and the financial services sector. However, the deal excludes rice, which is one of Korea's main crops.

Democrat opposition

Korean trade minister Kim Hyon-Chong said he was aware of "certain movement going on between the US administration and U.S. Congress", but said "renegotiation is out of the question".

"Once a deal is done... it's done," he added.

The difficulty for George W Bush's Republican administration is that it will have to get any final deal approved by both chambers in Congress - the House of Representative and the Senate - both of which are now controlled by the Democrats.

The South Korean government has also faced opposition to the deal, with nationwide protests led by farmers.

If ratified, the trade deal would be the largest the US has signed since the 1992 North American Free Trade Agreement.

Trade between the two countries totalled $72bn (£37bn) in 2005, and is expected to increase by about 20% if the deal is passed.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6552511.stm

I think, in the end though, there might be renegotiation, because as it seems, changes proposed by the Democrats concern domestic issues such as labor laws in the United States. If that's the case, a renegotiation wouldn't hurt.

I was surprised that the two sides reached agreement. I wonder if each side had ulterior motives in concluding the FTA? America allowed rice to be excluded, Kaesong to be discussed in the future, and I'm not sure about beef. From an American standpoint the US negotiators got rolled. Why would they do this? Could it be to keep SK within the American political orbit, and outside the Chinese orbit?

Roh probably wanted to conclude a favorable FTA so he could point to the one and only accomplishment of his administration.

If that's the case, it would be NK. This FTA, if passed, will be the deathnell to Chinese political/economic clout in North Korea.

roh has had many accomplishments. People expect too much from a democratically elected leader. Roh does not have the power of a authoritarian leader like former president Park Chung-hee.

As for ulterior motives, the US will now use this FTA to pressure Japan and china to open up their markets. Aside from keeping korea within the US orbit, this was the major goal. Japan is already feeling the heat and watching nervously as korean auto companies and electronic firms underprice them in europe and the US. The US goal of opening up the Japanse market was a huge incentive for the US to conclude this treaty with SK. For SK an FTA with the US, europe and China will continue to help korean manufacturers to compete with japan. Everyone did this deal with an eye toward japan and of course china.

we in korea or folks interested in korea, focus too much attention on Roh. What we forget is that the US acts and sets goals in line with how they percieve there interests are in relation to japan and china. In that sense, SK plays an important "balancer" or wedge role for the US, japan, and china.

Why do I get this feeling you work in a think tank or are a Charge d'Affairs in the SK embassy?

nope. but I do enjoy reading books and newspapers on this stuff. We're all learning together of course.

I wonder how the recent shooting in Va Tech is going to affect this?

No effect whatsoever on the FTA or on US-SK relations. Cho didn't represent the Korean people anymore than GI's who commit criminal acts on SK soil represent the American people.

I'm not of North or South Korean culture, but thats not to say many moons ago i could have been, all i can say is the U.S.A is up to something after the cold war things were achieved enough for them to have South Korea under their wing.

I just smell a rat, its time for South Koreans political leadership to step up to the plate and take full more charge before the U.S.A will use the Korean peninsula as a parking station for war ships in the region.