Bush makes final appeal to Congress for Korea FTA approval

By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President George W. Bush Monday urged
Congress to approve the pending free trade deals with South Korea, Colombia and
Panama, warning against growing protectionist sentiments in the U.S. amid
worsening economic woes.
"A disappointment, not a mistake but a disappointment, was not getting the three
trade bills out of Congress; on Colombia, Panama and South Korea," Bush said in a
final news conference at the White House just one week before stepping down at
the end of an eight-year tenure.
"I actually thought we had a shot at one time and then I was disappointed that
they didn't move out of the House," the outgoing president said.
Bush and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak agreed in April to ratify the
bilateral FTA by the end of last year. The agreement was signed in June 2007.
Neither parliament, however, ratified it, with South Korea's major opposition
party blocking the ruling Grand National Party's bid to ratify it earlier this
month, citing the failure by the U.S. Congress to move on it.
The Democrat-controlled Congress shunned the trade deal in recognition of major
U.S. trade unions, ardent political supporters of the Democrats.
President-elect Barack Obama has called the South Korea FTA "badly flawed,"
citing an imbalance in auto trade.
Obama, however, stopped short of favoring renegotiation of the Korea-U.S. FTA,
giving rise to speculation that his opposition was part of a campaign strategy to
woo votes from trade unions.
Others say FTA ratification with South Korea, one of the strongest U.S. allies
and seventh largest trading partner, would help the U.S. consolidate its foothold
in Asia.
Despite opposition to the deal by a majority of congressional Democrats, some
U.S. and South Korean officials have said the deal would likely be approved if
put to a vote, insisting a number of Democrats as well as Republicans favor it.
Bush insisted the FTAs will help the world's biggest economy muddle through the
unprecedented economic crisis triggered by the subprime mortgage crisis.
"The best way to enhance economic growth in a Third World country and to give
people a chance to realize, you know, a better future is through trade," he said.
"It's been proven. It's a fact. And I'm hopeful the country doesn't slip into
protectionist policy."
Protectionism will turn out to be a great mistake for the U.S. to make in its
effort to revive the economic recession, he said.
"In tough economic times, the temptation is to -- is to say, well, let's just
throw up barriers and, you know, protect our own and not compete," Bush said.
"That was the sentiment, by the way, that was in place during decent economic
times. And it would be a huge mistake if we become a protectionist nation."
He dismissed concerns that FTAs will result in a loss of jobs for American
workers, insisting rather that free and fair trade brings "benefits for our own
workers, benefits for workers overseas and benefits when it comes to promoting
development and helping lift people out of poverty in particularly Third World
countries."
hdh@yna.co.kr
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