The government’s capability to negotiate trade-related issues is expected to be enhanced following the parliamentary passage of a bill on government reorganization.
 
The bill calls for the establishment of a vice minister-level trade negotiations bureau inside the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in a bid to strengthen South Korea’s capability to negotiate trade matters in the face of growing protectionism.
 
Though the envisioned agency is of vice minister level, overseas, the agency’s head will be granted the status of trade minister and in English the head will be referred to as “minister.”
 
In 2013, the handling of trade affairs was transferred from the Foreign Ministry to the Trade, Industry and Energy Ministry. Through that process, the agency charged with trade affairs had seen a reduction in status. With the passage of the reorganization bill, however, the trade bureau has restored its status in four years.
 
The establishment of the trade negotiations bureau comes as South Korea had been tackling the U.S.’ request to revise the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement without a top trade negotiator.