Today's Date:   Monday, November 05, 2012

1. BILATERAL/MULTILATERAL ISSUES

FTA with Kiwis won’t hurt farmers [English: BYK]

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2012/11/176_123885.html

Summary: The ambassador of New Zealand to Korea said a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with his country won’t hurt farmers here.  “New Zealand is not a threat to Korean farmers,” Ambassador Patrick Rata told The Korea Times during an interview on Oct. 24.  His comment came two days after the New Zealand’s Trade Minister Tim Groser met his counterpart Bark Tae-ho in Seoul to discuss resumption of FTA negotiations, which have been on hold since May 2010.

2. LIVESTOCK ISSUES

Court Orders MBC to Air Apology for BSE Coverage  [Korean: BYK]

http://news.khan.co.kr/kh_news/khan_art_view.html?artid=201211012227425&code=940301

Summary: The court ordered MBC to air a correction of an apology, which they aired for a report on mad cow disease in the program, PD Notebook, because parts of the content were inaccurate. This implies that the apology included unnecessary contents. 

RDA to initiate Golden Seed Project [Korean: BYK]

http://news1.kr/articles/879804

Summary: The Rural Development Administration (RDA) announced that it has initiated a Golden Seed Project to develop breeding stocks for the swine farmers.  Under this project, RDA will develop new breeding stocks for the next 10 years to substitute the breeding stocks that are being imported every year.

3. MARKETING ISSUES

Korea’s Imports and Exports of Goods Saw a Growth in 8 Months [Korean, OSY]

http://news.donga.com/3/all/20121102/50568512/1

Summary: According to the Ministry of Knowledge and Economy, Korea’s imports and exports of goods recorded 1.2% and 1.5% growth respectively in October.  It has been 8 months since Korea saw a growth in both exports and imports last time in February 2012.  Market analysts suggest that Korea’s international trade is finally showing a recovery. 

4. OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES

Local Crab Price Soars due to Low Catch [Korean, OSY]

http://www.hankyung.com/news/app/newsview.php?aid=2012110408391

Summary: Fresh crab sold in the auction market in the western sea port marked 13,500 won per head (female crab), about 2.7 times higher than the price in September.  It is reported that the fall crab season this year has so far produced 870,820 kilogram of crab since the catch started on September 2, down 19 percent from last year’s catch.

5. MIFAFF PRESS RELEASES

► QIA to tighten quarantine inspection of pet animals, including micro-chip transfer and quarantine certificate issued by the Government.  Up to now, the certificate could be issued by the veterinary hospital.