S Korea to dispel 'misunderstanding' on US trade pact

Seoul

SOUTH Korea's trade minister said his country will seek to explain the benefits of its free-trade agreement (FTA) with the US to the Trump administration, as the pact enacted in 2012 comes under fresh scrutiny.

US President Donald Trump has already ditched a broader Pacific pact that was not yet ratified by Congress and chided South Korea's neighbours Japan and China for their trade policies, raising concern its agreement could come into his cross-hairs. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is meeting Mr Trump in the US later this week in part to defuse tensions over trade.

During his campaign, Mr Trump called the accord with Seoul - the biggest for the US since the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect in 1994 - a destroyer of US car industry jobs. He hasn't said if he plans to abolish the FTA outrigh…