S. Korea, Colombia commit to concluding free trade deal this year

(ATTN: UPDATES with details, background in paras 1-6) SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos pledged Thursday to significantly boost relations between the two countries and seek an early conclusion of a free trade agreement, officials said. In particular, the two leaders also agreed during summit talks in Seoul to work closely together to get their respective long-pending free trade pacts with the United States ratified by Congress as early as possible, officials said. The U.S. government has been trying to get the FTAs with South Korea, Colombia and Panama to pass through Congress as a package while seeking assurance that Congress will quickly ratify the FTAs once they are submitted. President Barack Obama's efforts to renew the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), a worker aid program opposed by Republican lawmakers, have been a sticking point as he has sought to renew the TAA along with the trade deals. In Thursday's talks, Lee and Santos agreed to upgrade their half-century-old relations to a "strategic cooperative partnership," a diplomatic term that usually refers to ties that are close enough to cooperate on security, global issues and other topics beyond simply seeking economic interests from each other. Presidential spokesman Park Jeong-ha said that the upgrade had originally been scheduled for some time later, but was made Thursday after Lee proposed moving up the schedule during the summit meeting. "More than anything else, the two countries agreed in today's summit talks to conclude free trade agreement negotiations within this year so as to expand their political alliance forged in blood to an economic alliance," the presidential office said in a statement. Colombia was the only country in Central and South America that sent troops to help South Korea defend itself against invading troops from North Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War. The conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, leaving the two sides still technically at war. Next year marks the 50th anniversary of relations between the two countries. Trade volume between the two countries amounted to US$782 million last year. The two leaders also agreed to boost cooperation in energy and resources, science and technology, broadcasting and communications and other areas. After the summit meeting, the sides signed five memorandums of understanding that call for establishing a high-level policy consultation forum and greater cooperation in energy and resources, electricity, environment and housing and urban development. Santos arrived in Seoul on Wednesday for a three-day state visit. Upon arrival, he paid a visit to the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas and the United Nations Command headquarters, a move symbolizing Colombia's contribution to South Korea's defense during the war. The visit also includes a luncheon with South Korean business leaders, a Colombia investment promotion session, a meeting with National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae and a visit to industrial facilities in southeastern South Korea. Santos is the third Colombian president ever to visit South Korea and the first since 1996.