Seoul’s FTA Losing Streak

The South Korean government continues its losing streak in the FTA debate, for good or for ill. On the good side, it has realized that it stands no chance of including North Korean-made Kaesong products in the wake of Kim Jong Il’s missile tests. On the not-as-good side, the anti-FTA side, most of it comprised of radical leftists, has managed to make opposition to the FTA the new focus of anti-Americanism in Korea, while Roh’s administration failed to confront its fulminations. Having once suggested that an FTA might be Roh’s legacy, it now “lays down the mattress” right where we can all see the chalk outline, suggesting that it doesn’t really care if there’s an FTA after all. It will be interesting to see if turnout for the next big demo hits the anticipated 100,000.