1. BILATERAL/MULTILATERAL ISSUES

Impact of EU-Korea FTA positive but small [English, CSY]

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2011/06/123_89135.html

[Viewpoint] Is Korus FTA in trouble in D.C.? [English, CSY]

Obama became a supporter of Korus after being moved by Lee Myung-bak’s passionate exposition on the importance of U.S.-Korea ties.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2937745

2. LIVESTOCK ISSUES

U.S. meat imports spike on animal disease [English, MJF]

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/business/2011/06/19/91/0501000000AEN20110619000700320F.HTML

SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korean imports of U.S. pork and beef rose at a far faster pace than those of other overseas meat products this year following the outbreak of a contagious animal disease here, government data showed Sunday.
Imports of U.S. pork spiked about 2.5-fold from a year ago to 82,569 tons in the January-May period, with overall pork imports rising 121 percent to 179,985 tons, according to the data by a government quarantine agency.
U.S. pork accounted for a record 45.9 percent of South Korea's imported pork market during the first five months of the year, compared with 29.7 percent one year earlier.
South Korean consumers also purchased more European pork this year, the data showed. Imports of German pork rose about 20-fold from a year earlier, with those of Danish and Polish products skyrocketing 8-fold and 5-fold each.

After FMD, imports of beef, pork rise from U.S.  [English, CSY]

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2937775

Summary: Korean imports of U.S. pork and beef rose at a far faster pace than those of other overseas meat products this year following the outbreak of a contagious animal disease here, government data showed yesterday.   Imports of U.S. pork spiked about 2.5-fold from a year ago to 82,569 tons in the January-May period, with overall pork imports rising 121 percent to 179,985 tons, according to the data by a government quarantine agency.   U.S. pork accounted for a record 45.9 percent of Korea’s imported pork market during the first five months of the year, compared with 29.7 percent one year earlier.   Korean consumers also purchased more European pork this year, the data showed.

3. MARKETING ISSUES

FTC discovers gochujang price-fixing [English, CSY]

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2937776

Summary: CJ Cheiljedang and Daesang Corporation, the nation’s leading gochujang, or red pepper paste, manufacturers, were found to be colluding on pricing, according to the Fair Trade Commission, yesterday.  The companies agreed to limit discounts offered to large discount stores to 30 percent, the commission said.  The FTC fined CJ 434 million won ($399,411) and Daesang 618 million won, and collusion charges were filed against two company executives who were involved in the collusion.   The FTC said the companies had been involved in a price war over flour-based gochujang at a time when they were releasing a rice-based gochujang, and offering 60 percent discounts to large stores. Several officials met at a hotel in Seoul in March 2010 and agreed to limit the discounts to 30 percent. They agreed that Daesang would limit its discounts from May 2010 and CJ from June.

4. OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES

E-Mart mulls retreat from Chinese market[English, MJF]

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2011/06/133_89109.html