Talks on S. Korea-U.S. defense procurement pact face setback: source

Talks between South Korea and the United States over an envisioned bilateral defense procurement agreement have faced an unexpected hurdle, a source said Tuesday, as U.S. lawmakers called for a review to ensure that such a pact will not negatively affect America's manufacturing and its workers. Seoul and Washington have been in talks over a Reciprocal Defense Procurement (RDP) Agreement aimed at reducing defense trade barriers, but an ongoing Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit is feared to slow their negotiations, according to the source. The audit came after Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA), top Democrat on the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, and Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), senior member of Senate Democratic Leadership, urged an overall review of RDP agreements with foreign governments last month. The two lawmakers sent a letter to White House Made in America Office's Director Livia Shmavonian on May 13 to urge the official to ensure that RDP agreements are fair for American workers a nd domestic manufacturing. They highlighted that unlike other trade agreements or treaties, these agreements are negotiated by the Pentagon and are not subject to congressional approval. "An unexpected hurdle has surfaced," the source told Yonhap News Agency. The negotiations could pick up pace likely in August or September when the outcome of the GAO audit is expected to come. Seoul has been eyeing the conclusion of the negotiations on the RDP agreement before the U.S. presidential election in November, but concerns have emerged that the negotiations could stretch into next year, the source said. After a White House summit with U.S. President Joe Biden last April, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said that the two sides agreed to accelerate discussions on reaching an RDP agreement. During a key bilateral defense meeting in April, the two countries also said they agreed to enhance progress on the development of an RDP agreement -- remarks that had boded well for the conclusion of the talks on the pa ct. The Pentagon has concluded RDP agreements with 28 countries, including Britain, Australia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy and Japan, The Biden administration has proposed new RDP agreements with South Korea, Brazil and India. Source: Yonhap News Agency