FTA Negotiations. Once the negotiations were initiated, both governments strived for a speedy conclusion of the negotiations. At the commencement declaration, the then head of the USTR, Xxx Xxxxxxx, optimistically stated that the negotiations would be completed by the end of 2006, and the Korean Trade Minister Hyun-Xxxx Xxx also stated that the U.S.-Bahrain FTA — signed after only two rounds of negotiations — provided an ideal model for the U.S.-Korea FTA negotiations.27 Reflecting on this declaration, the U.S.- Korea FTA negotiations were initially scheduled to take place only through to the end of the year, but were then extended until March of the following year.28 Even though an agreement was finally reached between the two countries after rounds of treacherous negotiations, controversies still remain.29 Concern about various provisions of the FTA, particularly in 25 Xxx-Xxxx Xxx, Han-Mi FTA, Nodong Shijang, Nosa Gwangae [U.S.-Korea FTA, Labor Market, Labor-Management Relationship] (Kor. Lab. Inst., Seoul, S. Kor.), Apr. 23, 2006, cited in Xxx Xxxx-Gi, Iljari Jungga Tumuniupko, Dwaerae 'Gujojojong' Wooryu [What Does Korea-U.S. FTA Mean to Laborers: Increase in Jobs is Ridiculous, In Fact Concerns About Restructuring, LABOR TODAY, Mar. 28, 2007, xxxx://xxx.xxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx/photo/ view.asp?arId=70273&pNo=46&mId1=09&mId2=04&sDate=&isView=l. 26 Won-Xxxx Xxx, Visiting Researcher at the Brookings Institute, Washington D.C., held the view that the proposed U.S.-Korea FTA was not the proper way to solve this problem in the U.S.-Korea relations. See Won-Xxxx Xxx, Xxx Xxx-Xxxx Daetongryungee Xxxxx Daetongryung Dalmattago? [Does the Korean President Xxx Xxx-Xxxx Resemble Xxxxx?], PRESSIAN NEWS, Aug. 30, 2006, xxx.xxxxxxxx.xxx/xxxxxxx/xxxxxxx/xxxxxxx.xxx?xxxxxxx_xxx= 40060830164422&s_menu=%BC%BC%B0%E8. 27 Portman Press Release, supra note 16.
FTA Negotiations. Once the negotiations were initiated, both governments strove for a speedy conclu- sion of the negotiations. At the commencement declaration, the then head of the
