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SEOUL : A majority of South Koreans support a free trade agreement with the United States, according to a poll published Monday, raising hopes it will eventually be approved by parliament.
Some 61 percent believe the deal reached early April will benefit their country compared to 31 percent who oppose it, according to a poll by Gallup Korea.
The survey of some 1,500 people, commissioned by a pro-free trade organisation, has an error margin of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
The two sides sealed the pact on April 2 after 10 months of tough talks. Some studies forecast it could boost annual trade worth US$78 billion by as much as 20 percent.
The deal must be ratified by the US Congress and the South Korean legislature.
State-run think tanks said separately the pact is expected to raise South Korea's annual economic growth by around 0.6 percent a year over the next decade and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs.
The forecast by the 11 bodies, quoted by Yonhap news agency, also predicted more foreign investment and lower prices for ordinary people. - AFP/ch
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