Korea's Happy Fun Free Trade Love Corner

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On September 1, the South Korean government established the "Korea-U.S. FTA [Free Trade Agreement] Love Corner" in the lobby of Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to "dispel public misunderstandings of the proposed free trade agreement between Korea and the United States." While "the response so far has been lukewarm," according to the Korea Herald, a ministry PR person explained, "The name of the corner implies that everyone is welcome." The ministry is waging an uphill love-in, though; according to the Korea Times, public opposition to the free trade agreement is increasing. One-half of Korean men surveyed in July 2006 opposed it and 75 percent were critical of "Seoul's negotiation performance." In early September, the South Korean government signed a $660,000 contract with the U.S. firm Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, to analyze U.S. law and increase support for the agreement in Congress and among the U.S. business community, reported O'Dwyer's PR Daily.