1.      Korea and Singapore will be holding a working-level meeting on September 7th-9th in Bangkok for the 
conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries.

O The Korean delegation will be headed by Mr. Lim Young-rok, Director General of the Multilateral Trade 
Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT), and consist of approximately 50 officials from 
related governmental agencies including MOFAT, the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of 
Commerce, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs 
and Fisheries.

O  The Singaporean delegation will be headed by Mr. K. Kesavapany, Director of the Institute of Southeast 
Asian Studies (and former Ambassador to Geneva), and consist of approximately 20 officials from the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

2.      The purpose of holding this working-level meeting is to establish the foundation for the conclusion of 
an FTA before holding the next round (the 5th) of negotiations in October.  The two sides will concentrate on 
issues on which the two sides were unable to reach an agreement in the past four rounds.

3.      At this working-level meeting, the delegates will discuss the points of contention in SPS/TBT, MRA, 
government procurement, services, and investment, and make efforts to arrive at an agreement.  
Furthermore, the two sides will endeavor to achieve realistic conclusions by focusing on the tariff concession 
schedule in products and the rules of origin.

4.      The government of the Republic of Korea plans to actively promote the improvement of conditions of 
entry into the services market and government procurement; the conclusion of an MRA between the two 
countries; the simplification of patent procedures; and the strengthening of cooperation in areas such as 
trade investment, broadcasting, and the environment.  The Korean government will make an effort to 
conclude an FTA that maximizes the effects of an FTA not only in the traditional area of tariff elimination on 
products but also in various other areas.

                                                                 Spokesperson for MOFAT

* unofficial translation