実利問われる日韓ＦＴＡ

Making Japan-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) feasible : Shared blueprint for the Northeast Asian Economic Integration

The idea of Japan-Korea FTA is a highly strategic economic partnership agreement. First, it aims a deep integration through its broad coverage and the WTO consistent framework, to take a common initiative in East Asia. Second, it is to prepare competitive business environment for dynamic division of labor to raise productivity of both countries. Third, it aims to promote cooperation in traditionally sensitive sector such as agriculture, and to enhance even trade policy coordination for better bargaining. Though general understanding on the strategic character has been established, still Korea is dominated by the fear for competition with Japanese firms, especially in automobile and machinery sector. The growth of Chinese market is believed to mitigate the impact of the competition for Korea, supporting Japan-Korea-China FTA, but it is not certain as NIRA’s simulation with CGE model expected worse impact of J-K-C FTA for Korean automobile industries than J-K FTA. Whether the integration process goes from J-K FTA to J-K-C FTA or simply starts from J-K-C FTA will influence the strategic gains of J-K FTA as well as total character of North East Asian integration. Some symbolic projects such as logistics cooperation supported by FTA negotiation may serve well as a trust building step for Japan and Korea.