The President and United States Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke agreed to cooperate for early ratification of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA).

The President shared his opinions on a wide range of issues, including the Korea-U.S. relationship, FTA and North Korean issues at a meeting with Secretary Locke and five members of the U.S. House of Representatives at Cheong Wa Dae on April 27.

The President said that the Korea-U.S. alliance is stronger than ever and the two countries have achieved excellent levels of bilateral economic cooperation. He also urged Washington to upgrade their bilateral ties, to which Locke replied that the administration and Congress were very interested in developing stronger ties.

The President urged the U.S. Congress to work towards early ratification of the FTA, which is predicted to bring financial benefits to both countries.

Secretary Locke said in response that he will do his utmost to win bipartisan support for ratification.