CPTPP Accession Bid for This Year Falls Through... Blue House: "Must Proceed on Trust with Farmers and Fishers"

Lee Orders Officials Not to Apply for CPTPP Membership This Year
"Restoring Trust Between Government and Farmers and Fishers Comes First"

President Lee Jaemyung instructed the government on Oct. 8 not to apply to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) this year. He asked the relevant ministries not to set a deadline, but to listen sincerely to farmers and fishers and engage in dialogue with them.

Kang Yoo-jung, senior presidential spokesperson, said in a written briefing that afternoon, "At a time when the international trade order is changing rapidly, the CPTPP is an option that the Republic of Korea, which aspires to be a global trading nation, must carefully consider." She added, "Trade policy is directly linked to people's lives," and stressed that "it must be pursued on the basis of trust and consensus with farmers and fishers, who are facing particular difficulties."

President Lee Jaemyung speaks at a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae on Oct. 6, 2026. Yonhap News.

The CPTPP is a multilateral free trade agreement among countries in the Asia-Pacific region, aimed at eliminating tariffs and promoting economic integration. Under current law, the government must hold a public hearing and report to the National Assembly before submitting an application to join a trade treaty such as the CPTPP. This year's CPTPP ministerial meeting, however, will be held in November, leaving little time given the required preliminary procedures. At a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Lee on Oct. 6, some reportedly said that "the public hearing must be announced in the official gazette by at least the middle of this month."

The presidential office signaled that it would not rush to meet the tight CPTPP schedule, saying, "Above all, restoring trust between the government and farmers and fishers takes priority." Kang said, "Of the 1 trillion won in the Rural Community Mutual Growth Fund pledged when the National Assembly ratified the Korea-China FTA in 2015, the shortfall of 700 billion won will be secured through government finances." She added, "The People Sovereignty Government will carefully review the issue of joining the CPTPP while engaging in sufficient communication, guided by the principle that no one among the public, including farmers and fishers, should be left behind."

According to the government and state-run research institutes, if Korea joins the CPTPP, its gross domestic product (GDP) would be 0.38 percentage points higher 10 years after the agreement takes effect. The market opening would increase the annual production spillover effect on the manufacturing base by up to 6.7 trillion won. In contrast, the value of production in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries is expected to fall by at least 850 billion won each year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.