Seoul urges Beijing to reduce trade regulations

SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's trade ministry said Thursday it requested its Chinese counterpart to consider lifting anti-dumping and safeguard measures against Asia's No. 4 economy and called for making a joint effort to establish a barrier-free trading environment. China has taken the third-largest anti-dumping and safeguard measures against South Korea after the United States and India, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The existing barriers against South Korea include 15 anti-dumping and one safeguard measures, along with two other cases currently under investigation, the ministry said. The two countries implemented their bilateral free trade pact in 2015, after holding 14 rounds of negotiations that began in 2012. colin@yna.co.kr (END)