South Korea will restore ministerial level trade representative under the foreign ministry to deal trade affairs as a part of a foreign agenda and better address increasing protectionism through diplomatic solutions, said government officials.

The move to shift external trade negotiating role from the trade ministry to the foreign ministry was made known after a briefing by the foreign ministry on Wednesday to the planning and advisory commission on state affairs in charge with formulating the guidelines and direction for public policies for the next five years under President Moon Jae-in.

“An independent ministerial-level trade representative would be able to better advocate for our national interests amid signs of protectionism on the external trade front,” said the foreign ministry.

Trade representative office that was active under liberal President Roh Moo-hyun who sought free trade agreements with the United States was scrapped under conservative governments. The trade negotiating function was placed instead under the trade and industry ministry.

The advisory committee will propose an outline to reorganize the government by promoting the vice-ministerial-level Small and Medium Business Administration to a ministerial level, separating the fire-fighting agency and coast guard as independent public offices, and placing the trade negotiation function under the foreign ministry to the National Assembly next month.

But experts questioned the efficiency of having two ministers under one ministry, claiming it would be better to form an independent body like the U.S. Trade Representative to defend corporate and trade rights.

By Cho Si-young and Kim Se-woong

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