Vice Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok says the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement(FTA) is a prime example of a mutually beneficial deal.  
 
The vice minister made the remark at a seminar on policy forecasts of the new U.S. government, jointly hosted by the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy and the Korea Economic Institute of America on Tuesday in Seoul.
 
Emphasizing the opportunities the FTA offers to the U.S., his remarks are interpreted as a contradiction to Trump’s claim that the trade deal is a "job-killing deal." During his campaign, the U.S. president-elect hinted at the possibility to renegotiate the trade pact.
 
Choi said although there are concerns about Trump’s trade protectionism, the two countries will continue to strengthen economic cooperation based on the frameworks of a sound bilateral alliance and already deep economic ties.
 
He quoted the Heritage Foundation as saying that the top 12 South Korean companies investing in the U.S. generated more than 35-thousand jobs last year.