US authorities for the first time filed a complaint against South Korea under environmental rules of the free trade pact between Seoul and Washington, over illegal fishing, the government has announced.
The US Trade Representative's office said it "intends to seek environment consultations" with Seoul under the terms of the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement, the first step in a formal trade complaint.
The trade representative's office cited a government report that named South Korea, saying the country failed to stop its vessels from "engaging in fishing activities that violate conservation and management measures."