Facts and Figures of TRIPS-Plus: Experiences of South Korea

Joint Sign-on Letter of CSOs to Trade Ministers of RCEP Negotiating Countries

- Updated version with further signatories from 29 Sep. letter-

 6 October 2017

Dear Ministers of Trade & Negotiators from RCEP Negotiating Countries,

The 20th round of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations is taking place from 17-28 October 2017 in Songdo, Korea. [1] RCEP negotiations include chapters on goods, services, investment, intellectual property etc and the proposed provisions in these chapters affect the daily lives of the peoples of all sixteen countries [2] involved in these negotiations including their access to knowledge and affordable life-saving medicines, farmers’ livelihoods, privacy, environmental protection and many other needed regulations.

KORUS Negotiation Documents (Preamble for Investors): Disclosed by the Supreme Court Order

Now we got a piece of negotiation documents of KORUS FTA. They reveal the US unilateralism, which will be pursued more strongly by the Trump Administration. Efforts of Korean negotiators to insert "Korea" into the KORUS Preamble were all failed. Compare the final text and failed proposals of South Korean Government (SKG).

Korean Supreme Court Opposing ISDS in KorUS FTA

When the KorUS FTA was negotiated from 2006, the Korean Supreme Court delivered its opinion against ISDS to the Korean government twice in 2006 and 2007. Ridiculously, the opinion of 2006 was disappeared for unknown reason. Here is the opinion of 2007. English translation was made by the Korea National Assembly in May 2012 upon request of the lawmaker Joosun Park (currently the Deputy-Speaker). Original Korean text is found here, and PDF file of the official English translation is here.

Written Opinion on RCEP to South Korean Government and Request for a Face-to-Face Meeting and Public Hearings

Written Opinion on RCEP to South Korean Government and Request for a Face-to-Face Meeting and Public Hearings

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This is English translation of the written opinion (Korean) submitted to the Korean Ministry of Trade on July 25, 2016. For PDF file, click here (Korean text, English text).

Pursuant to Article 8 of the Act on the Procedures for Concluding Commercial Treaties and the Implementation Thereof, we, the undersigned organizations and individuals, submit a written opinion on RCEP negotiation. We also call for a face-to-face meeting with the Korean negotiators and public hearings on RCEP.

Court ordered Disclosure of the Negotiating Documents of KorUS FTA

This is a rare victory. The court has long been reluctant to raise hands of individuals having rights to know, especially when it comes to trade agreements. Back in 2007 when the KorUS FTA talk was close to a conclusion, the court decided in favor of the Korean government to keep confidential draft texts of the FTA. We have two additional court decisions rejecting the request for information disclosure of negotiating documents of KorUS FTA in 2008 and in 2009.

TPP International Symposium and Strategy Forum

1. Goals

• Where TPP negotiation is in now
• What is its impact on domestic industries and strategy of the damaged people to come up with TPP
• International solidarity against TPP
• Mobilizing pubic disapproval against TPP