Pyongyang, November 29 (KCNA) -- Economic experts of the DPRK are criticizing the free trade agreement (FTA) between south Korea and the United States.

Kim Sang Hak, a section chief of the Economic Institute of the Academy of Social Sciences, told KCNA that FTA is encountering a strong opposition from south Korean people as it is a humiliating and unequal agreement.

He went on to say:

South Korea and the United States concluded FTA in June 2007.

The agreement stipulated that the United States should abolish tariffs step by step for autos imported from south Korea and the latter can limit auto imports from the former.

With U.S. auto makers disliking the agreement, it had failed to be approved by U.S. Congress. The United States demanded renegotiations and south Korea accepted the demand in December 3 last year. The two sides amended the auto trade part of FTA and signed it again in February.

The amended agreement stipulates that high tariffs should be kept in years for south Korean autos and even though the tariffs are eliminated, the United States can levy a custom duty on them again any time by invoking emergency import curbs.

Meanwhile, south Korea should halve customs for U.S.-made autos as soon as the agreement goes into effect and eliminate them after four years.

Viewed from international law and practice, it is uncommon to amend what two sides agreed already. But the humiliating agreement came into being due to the U.S. arrogance and shamelessness and the south Korean pro-U.S. sycophantic and treacherous policy.

FTA serves as an indication of the relationship between the metropolitan state and colony and between the master and servant.

Generally speaking, a free trade agreement calls for abolishing all tariffs and nontariff barriers and ensuring free transfer of goods and capital. It is clear to everyone who will be the victim in case south Korea, much smaller than the United States in the economic scope and dependent on the latter in capital and technology, concludes such an agreement with it.

The unequal agreement has seven mandatory articles for the U.S. but 55 mandatory articles for south Korea.

Kim Kwang Nam, another section chief of the same institute, said:

The humiliating and unequal agreement was rattled through the south Korean "National Assembly" to become effective next year.

If the agreement comes into effect, the south Korean economy will be fully subordinate to the U.S. economy, inviting a serious result.

The biggest victim will be south Korea's agriculture.

According to south Korea's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Foodstuffs, south Korean agricultural and fishing domains will suffer a loss of more than 12 trillion won in 15 years. Of the figure, more than 7 trillion won loss will go to the stockbreeding domain.

South Korean people term FTA a "coercive agreement maximizing the U.S. interests" and "second Ulsa five-point treaty".

Through the conclusion of FTA the Lee Myung Bak conservative regime has sold out the dignity and interests of the south Korean people to the United States.