[Editorial] Anti-FTA Nonsense

A “National Alliance against the Korea-U.S. FTA” recently released a report on the Korea-U.S. FTA which criticized the FTA as “an integration of the Korean economy into American imperialism.” Kim Se-kyun, a coauthor of the report and professor at Seoul National University, said, “The FTA is an attack launched by American transnational capital and Korean monopolistic capital to further exploit and plunder Korean workers.”

This is identical to the 1980s’ school of thought that regarded Korea as an American colony and incited anti-American class protests. Such anachronistic thoughts were published again less than one month after the first report, which is a testament to deep-rooted leftism.

In the report, Choi Hyung-ik, professor of Hanshin University, said regarding the Korea-U.S. FTA, “It is the treaty that transfers sovereignty of the republic to the U.S.” “The term ‘republic’ was used to clearly express the political goal that should be reached as an opposite concept of imperialism,” said Choi. The term is used by the North to express its own principle that “any socialist country should be a republican entity without exception.” The group imitated this concept. Worse, it seems that they even aspire to build a socialist country.

“The FTA with the U.S. will strengthen the alliance between the two countries, alienating China in turn, antagonizing North Korea, and forcing the Korean peninsula to face military threats,” said Bae Sung-in of Myongji University. This is the same logic that leftist groups used when they voiced opposition on the movement of U.S. troops stationed in Pyeongtaek, Korea. Yet, China is showing great interest in FTA talks with Korea. It does not make sense if they argue and accept Korea-China FTA but not Korea-U.S. FTA.

For its part, North Korea has kept quiet about the FTA. “North Korea does not have a concrete concept about the FTA,” said professor Nam Sung-wook of Korea University, who recently visited the communist country. In this sense, anti-FTA argument of the pro-North, leftist national alliance is more “pro-North than the North itself.” Such absurd remarks should not be tolerated any more.