Seoul: Prime Minister Kim Min-seok has announced that South Korea is positively considering joining a trans-Pacific trade pact to enhance economic cooperation with Japan. Kim revealed this plan during an interview with Japan's Nikkei newspaper, stating that South Korea is reviewing its potential membership in the 12-member Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). However, the prime minister did not specify a timeline for when Seoul might formally apply to join the pact.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the CPTPP is a significant trans-Pacific trade agreement that includes countries such as Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, and Vietnam. In 2022, the South Korean government decided to pursue entry into the CPTPP, yet it failed to submit a formal application due to opposition from the agriculture and fisheries sectors and a strained relationship with Japan.
Observers note that Japan may urge South Korea to lift its import restrictions on seafood from Fukushima and nearby areas as part of the CPTPP accession process. These restrictions have been in place since 2013 due to concerns over radiation levels following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant meltdown. Kim stated, "We have been adhering to the standards and inspections set by the relevant Korean agencies," which suggests that South Korea intends to maintain these restrictions for now.
When questioned about the possibility of an inter-Korean summit, Kim remarked that it would be "more realistic" to prioritize discussions between the United States and North Korea before pursuing dialogue between the two Koreas. He further emphasized that the transfer of wartime operational control from Washington to Seoul would be determined "based on mutual assessment between the two countries." Kim asserted that South Korea should be prepared to proceed with the handover "at any time."