{"id":5748,"date":"2006-07-14T16:43:28","date_gmt":"2006-07-14T07:43:28","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2016-10-25T22:16:43","modified_gmt":"2016-10-25T13:16:43","slug":"5748","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/5748\/","title":{"rendered":"
What the Korean government should take away from the crippled talks of 2nd round is not to withdraw <\/div>
Korean Civil Societies Statement on 2nd Round of Korea-US FTA Talks<\/div><\/div>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Korean Civil Societies Statement on 2nd Round of Korea-US FTA Talks<\/p>\n

– What the Korean government should take away from the crippled talks of 2nd round is not to withdraw certain negotiating teams but to stop the negotiation itself –<\/p>\n

The second round of FTA talks between Korea and United States ended on July 14, 2006 with cancellation of the final day\u2019s entire schedule. In the second round, drug pricing policy of the Korean government became the central issue. The Korean government announced to reform its drug pricing policy of the national healthcare system by adopting measures to positively list reimbursable prescription drugs rather than the current \u201cnegative list\u201d, which only lists the exclusions. This positive list system was planned on May 2006 and is expected to take effect on September 2006 when the third round of the KORUS FTA talks will be held in Seattle.<\/p>\n

The US negotiators refused to attend the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Working Group meeting from July 11 and expressed its strong opposition to the positive list system. Wendy Cutler, Assistant USTR and chief American negotiator, blamed that the system \u201ccan be used to discriminate against innovative drugs,\u201d which are usually supplied by U.S. and thereby \u201climit the access of Korean patients and doctors to most innovative drugs in the world.\u201d Subsequently, the U.S. negotiating teams did not attend the sessions for trade protection and service sectors and Korean side followed suit on Friday by canceling the meetings for commodity trade and environment.<\/p>\n

We would first like to discuss the actions of both Korean and U.S. governments towards the new drug pricing policy planned by Korean government. The positive list system has been in operation in many OECD countries. If it discriminates against innovative drugs and limits patients\u2019 access to these innovative drugs, the positive list system would already be abolished and failed to exist. However, the potential problems that the U.S. chief negotiator argued did not occur in any countries. The U.S. position on the positive list system is motivated by its aim to keep high prices on drugs supplied by U.S. pharmaceutical companies and ignores constitutional obligation of Korean government to implement comprehensive and systematic policies to maintain public health. In this regard, the U.S. government deserves reproach.<\/p>\n

However, the Korean government should be the focus of greater criticism since it provided an excuse. Before the official launch of KORUS FTA this February, the Korean government made a promise the U.S. to address, as a precondition of the KORUS FTA, four areas of concern to the U.S.: beef; automobiles; pharmaceuticals; and screen quotas. With respect to the pharmaceuticals, Korean government agreed at the trade action agenda meeting last October, that no new drug reimbursement pricing policies would be introduced in the near future. Further, Korean government promised to set up an independent mechanism under which pharmaceutical companies could appeal the drug reimbursement decisions.<\/p>\n

We view the actions of both governments\u2019 negotiators to be intentional performances to disguise the substantive issues surrounding the problem. To the U.S. negotiators the Korean government\u2019s pharmaceutical drug policy becomes the weapon for obtaining another greater concessions from the Korean side during the next round of talks. The U.S. pharmaceutical companies, even under the positive list system, has the power to file a suit against the Korean government through investor-government dispute and\/or non-violation provisions after the KORUS FTA becomes effective. Reportedly, both sides have agreed to the investor-government dispute provision and as such the U.S. pharmaceutical companies may claim damages from the Korean government and request for abolishment of the positive list system. Further, when Korean side concedes to accept the U.S. request to introduce patent term extension and independent appeal system in drug pricing process, the positive list system loses its effect. Moreover, the U.S. pharmaceutical company, usually a patent holder for the drugs, is a single producer and the Korean government\u2019s power to negotiate the drug price would be limited. In addition, the independent appeal system would further weaken the negotiating power of the Korean government. Therefore, the strong opposition displayed by the U.S. to the positive list system is merely negotiating strategy and tactic to gain more leverage in order to intervene on such matters as Korean drug policy and obtain term extension on drug patent, and linkage between patent and drug approval process from Korean side.<\/p>\n

Likewise, the action of the Korean government is nothing more than fabricated performance. The Korean government has already agreed to protect intellectual property right holders as the investors, which would certainly weaken the effective function of the positive list system. During the second round, tens of thousands citizens intensely protested against the KORUS FTA, and public opinion in Korea took a turn from pro-FTA. The Korean government\u2019s action to cancel the final day\u2019s meeting was to appease the public and nothing more.<\/p>\n

The dramatic performance staged by both sides clearly reveals the presence of significant problem in connection with free trade talks, as the nation\u2019s public policy such as national healthcare system becomes a political pawn subject to trade negotiation. This will happen regularly when the proposed KORUS FTA is signed. Free trade agreement, in particular the KORUS FTA, would allow every public policy to be controlled by business interests. The shows played by both governments should be stopped. The business interests cannot take precedence over public interests.<\/p>\n

July 14, 2006<\/p>\n

Association of Korean Doctors for Health Rights
\nAssociation of Physicians for Humanism
\nHealth Right Network
\nIPLeft, Intellectual Property Left
\nKANOS, Korea HIV\/AIDS Network of Solidarity
\nKorea Dentists Association for Health Society
\nKorea Leukemia Patients Group
\nKorea Social Insurance Trade Union
\nKorean Federation of Medical Groups for Health Right
\nKorean Pharmacists For Democratic Society
\nKorean Progressive Network \u2018Jinbonet\u2019
\nNanuri+ HIV\/AIDS Human Rights Advocacy Group of Korea
\nPublic Pharmaceutical Center
\nSolidarity for Worker\u2019s Health<\/p>\n

2006-07-13<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The dramatic performance staged by both sides clearly reveals the presence of significant problem in connection with free trade talks, as the nation\u2019s public policy such as national healthcare system becomes a political pawn subject to trade negotiation. This will happen regularly when the proposed KORUS FTA is signed. Free trade agreement, in particular the KORUS FTA, would allow every public policy to be controlled by business interests. The shows played by both governments should be stopped. The business interests cannot take precedence over public interests.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,3733,115],"tags":[3047,10],"class_list":{"0":"post-5748","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-17","7":"category-3733","8":"category-115","9":"tag-3047","10":"tag-10"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3422,"url":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/3422\/","url_meta":{"origin":5748,"position":0},"title":"Korean Civil Societies Statement on 2nd Round of Korea-US FTA Talks[\uc131\uba85\uc11c]\uacf5\uacf5\uc81c\ub3c4\uac00 \uae30\uc5c5\uc774\uc775\uc5d0 \ub530\ub77c \ud765\uc815\ub300\uc0c1\uc774 \ub418\ub294 \ud55c\ubbf8 FTA \ud611\uc0c1\uc740 \uc911\ub2e8\ub418\uc5b4\uc57c \ud55c\ub2e4.","author":"\ub514\uc815\ub137","date":"2006\/07\/19","format":false,"excerpt":"\uc131 \uba85 \uc11c \uc218 \uc2e0 : \uac01 \uc5b8\ub860\uc0ac \uc0ac\ud68c\ubd80 \ubc0f \ubcf5\uc9c0\ubd80 \ub2f4\ub2f9 \uc81c \ubaa9 : \ud55c\ubbf8 FTA 2\ucc28 \ud611\uc0c1 \uad00\ub828 \uc758\uc57d\ud488\ubd84\uc57c \ubc0f \ud611\uc0c1 \ubd80\ubd84\ud30c\ud589\uc5d0 \ub300\ud55c \uc2dc\ubbfc\uc0ac\ud68c\ub2e8\uccb4\uc758 \uc785\uc7a5(\ucd1d 2\ub9e4) \ub2f4 \ub2f9 : \uc815\ubcf4\uacf5\uc720\uc5f0\ub300 \ub0a8\ud76c\uc12d 011-470-1180 \ubcf4\uac74\uc758\ub8cc\ub2e8\uccb4\uc5f0\ud569 \uc6b0\uc11d\uade0 \uc815\ucc45\uc2e4\uc7a5 011-496-8408 \uacf5\uacf5\uc81c\ub3c4\uac00 \uae30\uc5c5\uc774\uc775\uc5d0 \ub530\ub77c \ud765\uc815\ub300\uc0c1\uc774 \ub418\ub294 \ud55c\ubbf8 FTA \ud611\uc0c1\uc740 \uc911\ub2e8\ub418\uc5b4\uc57c \ud55c\ub2e4. - \ud55c\uad6d\uc815\ubd80\uac00\u2026","rel":"","context":""English"\uc5d0\uc11c","block_context":{"text":"English","link":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/cat\/1\/17\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6250,"url":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/6250\/","url_meta":{"origin":5748,"position":1},"title":"The Korea-EU FTA, which Shall Restrict the Constitutional Rights of Koreans, Must Also Be Dismantle[Statement] Stop the India-EU FTA, Decimator of the ‘Pharmacy of the World’!","author":"\ub514\uc815\ub137","date":"2011\/03\/02","format":false,"excerpt":"The Korea-EU FTA must be dismantled. And the lives of patients in over 120 countries are on the line regarding the India-EU FTA. What will devastate the Pharmacy of the World must also be stopped.","rel":"","context":""English"\uc5d0\uc11c","block_context":{"text":"English","link":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/cat\/1\/17\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5750,"url":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/5750\/","url_meta":{"origin":5748,"position":2},"title":"Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) increase medical bills, aggravate health inequalities, and destroy peopKorean and US NGOs Position Paper on the public health issues in the Korea-US FTA Negotiation, submitted to USTR","author":"\ub514\uc815\ub137","date":"2006\/03\/24","format":false,"excerpt":"We can not approve the prior action to initiate the Korea-US FTA negotation.","rel":"","context":""English"\uc5d0\uc11c","block_context":{"text":"English","link":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/cat\/1\/17\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6687,"url":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/6687\/","url_meta":{"origin":5748,"position":3},"title":"Stop the India-EU FTA Negotiations, Decimator of the ‘Pharmacy of the World’!","author":"\ub514\uc815\ub137","date":"2011\/11\/28","format":false,"excerpt":"US and EU are threatening lives of people living with disease now. The India-EU FTA is an agreement which risk patients' health none the more than the KORUS FTA. Especially, the India-EU FTA endangers lives of people living with disease all over the world. We urge the Lee Myoung-bak government\u2026","rel":"","context":""English"\uc5d0\uc11c","block_context":{"text":"English","link":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/cat\/1\/17\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3396,"url":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/3396\/","url_meta":{"origin":5748,"position":4},"title":"[\ubcf4\ub3c4\uc790\ub8cc]\ud55c\uad6d-\ubbf8\uad6d \uc2dc\ubbfc\uc0ac\ud68c\ub2e8\uccb4, \ud55c\ubbf8 FTA \ubcf4\uac74\uc758\ub8cc\ubd84\uc57c USTR \uc758\uacac\uc11c \uc81c\ucd9c","author":"\ub514\uc815\ub137","date":"2006\/03\/30","format":false,"excerpt":"\ubc1c\uc2e0 : \uacf5\uacf5\uc758\uc57d\uc13c\ud130, \uc815\ubcf4\uacf5\uc720\uc5f0\ub300 IPLeft, \uc9c4\ubcf4\ub124\ud2b8\uc6cc\ud06c\uc13c\ud130 \uc678 \uc5f0\uba85\ub2e8\uccb4 \ubc0f \uac1c\uc778 \ub0a0\uc9dc : 2006.3.28 \uc81c\ubaa9 : \ud55c\uad6d-\ubbf8\uad6d \uc2dc\ubbfc\uc0ac\ud68c\ub2e8\uccb4, \ud55c\ubbf8 FTA \ubcf4\uac74\uc758\ub8cc\ubd84\uc57c USTR \uc758\uacac\uc11c \uc81c\ucd9c ========================================================= 1. \uc548\ub155\ud558\uc138\uc694. 2. USTR(\u7f8e \ubb34\uc5ed\ub300\ud45c\ubd80)\ub294 \uc9c0\ub09c 3\uc6d4 24\uc77c(\ubbf8\uad6d \ud604\uc9c0\uc77c\uc790)\uae4c\uc9c0 \ud55c-\ubbf8 FTA\uc640 \uad00\ub828\ud55c \uc758\uacac\uc11c\ub97c \ubc1b\uc558\uc2b5\ub2c8\ub2e4. 3. \uc774\uc5d0 \uc815\ubcf4\uacf5\uc720\uc5f0\ub300 IPLeft\uc640 \uc9c4\ubcf4\ub124\ud2b8\uc6cc\ud06c\uc13c\ud130\ub97c \ud3ec\ud568\ud55c \uad6d\ub0b4 \uc2dc\ubbfc\uc0ac\ud68c\ub2e8\uccb4\ub4e4\uacfc Health Global Access Project\u2026","rel":"","context":""English"\uc5d0\uc11c","block_context":{"text":"English","link":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/cat\/1\/17\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5749,"url":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/5749\/","url_meta":{"origin":5748,"position":5},"title":"[Joint Statement on KORUS FTA] We say NO to FTA, which threatens people’s health right","author":"\ub514\uc815\ub137","date":"2006\/06\/22","format":false,"excerpt":"Neo-liberal globalization is the keyword explaining the current global political and economic system. Its policies and orders, implemented through multinational as well as bilateral or regional trade agreements, deterioratepublic interest and deprive the people of their rights to access to public service in the name of Free trade. FTA aims\u2026","rel":"","context":""English"\uc5d0\uc11c","block_context":{"text":"English","link":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/cat\/1\/17\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5748"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5748\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28031,"href":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5748\/revisions\/28031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/act.jinbo.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}