SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) - South Korea opened, on Monday, a telephone customer service to help local businesses make better use of free trade agreements (FTAs) in the country.
You can access the Telephone Service Customer Service by dialing FTAs 1380, and will provide information specific to a country or region on the way in which local firms can benefit from the FTA in the country, according to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy.
South Korea is already implementing nine bilateral and multilateral FTAs with 46 countries, including the United States and member countries of the European Union.
There are about 153,000 local companies that directly or indirectly export their products to countries with which South Korea has an FTA.
However, several of them, in particular, about 67,000 companies, including small and medium enterprises that export their products indirectly through large companies, have little experience or information on how the FTA can benefit them even more, the ministry said.
The ministry also said it expects Phone Service Customer of FTAs serve as a catalyst for South Korean firms to quickly adapt to the new environment in the context of FTAs, while working as a kind of guide to small and medium enterprises that are currently facing difficulties.
