Park to conclude Canada visit with signing of free trade deal

By Kim Kwang-tae

OTTAWA, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye was to plant a tree on the grounds of the Canadian governor general's official residence and to lay a wreath at a war monument in Ottawa on Monday as she prepares to conclude her three-day state visit to Canada.

Park's visit to the monument underscored Seoul's appreciation to Ottawa for sending troops to South Korea to fight against invading forces from the Chinese-backed North Korea decades ago.

More than 500 out of 30,000 Canadian troops died during the 1950-53 Korean War that ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

Park's state visit is set to be culminated later in the day in a formal signing of a free trade deal and a series of memorandums of understanding on science and technology, among other things.

South Korean commerce minister Yoon Sang-jick is set to sign a free trade deal with his Canadian counterpart soon after Park holds a summit with Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

In March, Harper visited Seoul when the two countries announced the conclusion of a free trade deal after nearly nine years of tough negotiations.

South Korea and Canada said the deal could help boost bilateral trade by cutting tariffs on a wide range of products, including automobiles.

Canada is required to abolish its current 6.1 percent import tariffs on South Korean cars within three years of the implementation of the deal, a move that could put South Korean carmakers on an equal footing with American and Japanese competitors, which run factories in Canada.

South Korea is the first Asian country to sign a free trade deal with Canada. Two-way trade amounted to nearly US$10 billion in 2013.

South Korea said it plans to submit a free trade deal to the parliament early next month for ratification.

Later in the day, Park plans to fly to New York to address the U.N. General Assembly -- her debut at the world body since taking office last year.

In New York, Park plans to attend the U.N. climate summit meant to galvanize action on cutting emissions of heat-trapping gases that scientists blame for global warming.

Park also plans to address the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday with a call for peace on the divided Korean Peninsula and in the region.

Tensions persist on the peninsula over the North's missile and nuclear programs as well as its military threats against South Korea in recent months.

entropy@yna.co.kr
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