Clinton tells Koreans she is confident of FTA passage

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-Hwan Saturday that she is confident the U.S.-Korea free-trade agreement will pass the U.S. Congress after being stalled for four years.

Clinton met Kim in Seoul for a meeting where the free-trade agreement was the top item on the agenda.

"We will be consulting and making the case together to our respective legislatures and I am very confident that there will be a positive outcome that will benefit both of our countries," she said, according to a transcript.

She said the FTA "is going to be a singular accomplishment of both of our presidents and will contribute so much to the broadening and deepening of our relationship."

The Korea free-trade agreement was stalled for years due to congressional Democratic opposition. President Obama oversaw a renegotiation of the pact in December that earned it auto industry and union support. 

Since that time it has been congressional Republicans that have been holding up consideration, as well as renewal of the lapsed Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act and Generalized System of Preferences trade programs. 

Republicans want the Korea FTA implementing bill to be packaged together with bills implementing the stalled Colombia and Panama free-trade agreements. Last week, the administration and Colombia agreed on an action plan to end anti-union violence there, and this week Panama's National Assembly passed tax and labor law changes that are seen as the last obstacles to the Panama FTA being approved here.

Observers expect a package of trade votes before summer recess.