America and South Korean trade negotiators overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles to sign the landmark Korea-US free trade agreement on June 30. The trade pact would provide new opportunities for US businesses and workers by increasing US-South Korean trade, liberalising South Korea's economy to expand market access and making 94 per cent of bilateral trade duty-free within three years.

The FTA would also strengthen bilateral ties by broadening the US-South Korean relationship beyond the military alliance, help retain US influence in the region and counter Seoul's econ-omic shift towards China.