The KORUS FTA, Korea's FTA Policy, and the Dynamics of East Asian Economic Integration

Summary: Taeho Bark, Trade Minister of Korea, discussed Korea's free trade agreement (FTA) policy at the Peterson Institute on May 16, 2012. Korea has conducted an effective trade policy over the last decade, negotiating FTAs with its partners from all parts of the world. The Korean initiatives thus offer a potential bridge between the "Asia track" of Asia-only agreements and the "Pacific track" characterized by the Trans Pacific Partnership, a key issue for the future trade (and political) architecture of the region and indeed the world economy.