Lee orders Korea not apply for CPTPP membership this year李明博下令韩国今年不得申请加入《全面与进步跨太平洋伙伴关系协定》（CPTPP）。
President Lee Jae Myung ordered the government Thursday not to apply for membership to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacifi...
President Lee Jae Myung ordered the government Thursday not to apply for CPTPP membership this year to allow more discussions with farmers and fishermen. The government has been reviewing membership in the 12-country Indo-Pacific trade agreement, but agricultural and fisheries groups fear cheaper imports could hurt their incomes and production bases. Lee’s instruction followed a Cabinet discussion Tuesday, ahead of a November ministerial conference.
CPTPP member countries accounted for about 15.2 percent of global trade in 2019.
A government projection estimated that joining CPTPP could add 0.38 percentage point to South Korea’s GDP growth over 10 years.
Manufacturing production was projected to increase by 6.7 trillion won annually for 15 years after membership.
Agricultural and fisheries production was projected to decline by approximately 850 billion won annually.
Published Oct 8, 2026 4:29 pm KST
Updated Oct 8, 2026 4:58 pm KST
President Lee Jae Myung attends a press conference in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap
President Lee Jae Myung ordered the government Thursday not to apply for membership to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) this year to allow time for sufficient discussions with farmers and fishermen, his spokesperson said.
The government has been reviewing whether to join the major Indo-Pacific trade agreement comprising 12 countries, including Japan, Mexico, Australia, Canada and Vietnam. Together, the member countries accounted for about 15.2 percent of global trade in 2019.
The move has faced opposition from farming and fishing industries, however, over concerns larger imports of cheaper agricultural and fishery products could erode their income and production bases.
"President Lee Jae Myung ordered that we not apply for CPTPP membership within the year," Kang Yu-jung said in a written press briefing. "He also urged relevant ministries to listen sincerely to the voices of farmers and fishermen and continue to have discussions, rather than setting a deadline."
Lee's instruction came after the topic of CPTPP membership was discussed during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, Kang said. At the meeting, officials pointed out that in order for Korea's membership to be considered during a CPTPP ministerial conference in November, plans for a public hearing on the matter had to be posted to the official gazette by mid-October at the latest.
"At a time when the international trade order is rapidly changing, the CPTPP is an option the Republic of Korea should consider with priority as we strive to become a global trading state," Kang said.
"However, trade policy is directly connected to the people's lives," she added. "In particular, they must be pursued based on the trust and shared understanding of the farmers and fishermen who are experiencing difficulties."
According to a government projection released last month, the country's gross domestic product is estimated to grow by an additional 0.38 percentage point over 10 years following its potential entry into the CPTPP, while production in the manufacturing sector is expected to increase by another 6.7 trillion won ($4.99 billion) per year for 15 years following its membership.
Production in the agricultural and fisheries sectors, however, is projected to decline by approximately 850 billion won annually.
李在明总统周四指示政府今年暂不申请加入《全面与进步跨太平洋伙伴关系协定》（CPTPP），以便与农民和渔民进行更多磋商。政府一直在评估是否加入这项由12个国家组成的印太贸易协定，但农业和渔业团体担心，更便宜的进口商品可能会损害他们的收入和生产基地。李在明的指示是在周二内阁会议讨论后作出的，此次会议是为11月即将召开的部长级会议做准备。
2019年，CPTPP成员国的贸易额约占全球贸易额的15.2%。
政府预测，加入 CPTPP 可在 10 年内使韩国 GDP 增长率提高 0.38 个百分点。
加入该组织后，预计未来 15 年制造业产量每年将增加 6.7 万亿韩元。
预计农业和渔业产量每年将减少约 8500 亿韩元。
发布于2026年10月8日下午4:29（韩国标准时间）
更新于2026年10月8日下午4:58（韩国标准时间）
韩国总统李在明周三在首尔出席记者会。（韩联社）
总统李在明周四下令政府今年不申请加入《全面与进步跨太平洋伙伴关系协定》（CPTPP），以便有充足的时间与农民和渔民进行充分讨论，他的发言人表示。
政府一直在考虑是否加入由日本、墨西哥、澳大利亚、加拿大和越南等12个国家组成的印太贸易协定。2019年，这些成员国的贸易总额约占全球贸易总额的15.2%。
然而，此举遭到了农业和渔业的反对，他们担心大量进口更便宜的农产品和渔业产品可能会削弱他们的收入和生产基础。
姜裕贞在一份书面新闻发布会上表示：“李在明总统指示我们今年内不要申请加入《全面与进步跨太平洋伙伴关系协定》（CPTPP）。他还敦促相关部门认真倾听农民和渔民的声音，继续进行磋商，而不是设定最后期限。”
康表示，李明博的指示是在周二的内阁会议上讨论了加入CPTPP的问题之后作出的。会议上，官员们指出，为了使韩国的加入问题能在11月举行的CPTPP部长级会议上得到审议，最迟必须在10月中旬之前将有关此事的公开听证会计划公布在官方公报上。
康表示：“在国际贸易秩序快速变化的当下，随着韩国努力成为全球贸易大国，CPTPP是韩国应该优先考虑的选择。”
“然而，贸易政策与人民的生活息息相关，”她补充道，“尤其重要的是，必须建立在面临困境的农民和渔民的信任和相互理解之上。”
根据上个月公布的政府预测，该国加入CPTPP后，未来10年国内生产总值预计将额外增长0.38个百分点，而未来15年制造业产值预计将每年增加6.7万亿韩元（49.9亿美元）。
然而，预计农业和渔业部门的产量每年将减少约 8500 亿韩元。