SEOUL, March 8 (UPI) -- South Korea and the United States opened a new round of free trade talks Thursday in Seoul amid protests by farmers.
The eighth round of talks aimed at tearing down trade barriers between the two countries is seen as crucial in reaching an agreement by the end of March to meet their time schedule.
The two sides, who launched FTA talks in Washington in early June, hope to wrap up the negotiations before April, three months before U.S. President George W. Bush's power to sign trade deals without being subject to congressional amendment expires on July 1, 2007.
"The eighth round of talks in Seoul is very important. We are looking forward to making a lot of progress this week," Wendy Cutler, the chief U.S. negotiator, said ahead of the talks.
South Korean officials also said they will show "maximum flexibility" to reach a breakthrough.
Outside of the negotiations venue, hundreds of farmers and activists staged protests against the FTA, saying the opening of domestic markets would destroy local industries and wipe out livelihoods.
