South Korean Opposition Threatens to Scrap US Free Trade Deal

South Korea's opposition leader threatened that if her party wins the race for president, it will scrap the free trade agreement between South Korea and the United States. Democratic United Party (DUP) chairwoman Han Myeong-sook said that unless the current government revises certain clauses in the free trade agreement, her party would be forced to repeal the entire free trade agreement if it wins the next election. The DUP also sent letters to United States President Barrack Obama and other leading American politicians requesting that they look into the matter. The opposition says that one of the clauses in question, which Han Myeong-sook called "poisonous", would allow American companies to circumvent South Korean courts and take their disputes to international courts. Critics of the free trade agreement say that this would be a blow to South Korean sovereignty. Opponents to the free trade agreement say that the United States has more to gain from the agreement than South Korea does, while supporters of the free trade agreement say that the DUP is threatening to repeal the free trade agreement simply to woo left leaning voters in the upcoming election. The supporters of the free trade deal say that repealing the free trade agreement would hurt South Korea's credibility. They also worry that such an action could hurt political ties between South Korea and the United States. The United States is a crucial market for South Korean exports, so if the free trade agreement is repealed the South Korean economy could suffer.