S. Korea, EU to hold fresh round of free trade talks on Dec. 15

SEOUL, Dec. 10 (Yonhap) -- Trade negotiators from South Korea and the European
Union (EU) will hold a new round of talks this weekend with the aim of forging a
free trade agreement, a Seoul official said Wednesday.

The two sides launched the talks in May last year and had hoped to reach an
agreement by the end of last year. But little progress was made due to
differences over industrial tariffs and other sensitive issues.
South Korea and the EU will hold the new round of talks from Dec. 15-17 in Vienna
of Austria, said Lee Hye-min, South Korea's chief negotiator to the talks.
"At this talks, we aim to focus on narrowing the remaining differences to seal a
deal," Lee told reporters.
"Both sides plan to make efforts to draw a big picture," Lee said.
The EU has been critical of South Korea's protective stance in opening its auto
market.
The stakes are high, with bilateral trade between South Korea and the EU reaching
some US$80 billion last year.
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