Agricultural Import Structure Change since the FTA Strategy Came into Force in Korea

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to analyze the Free Trade Agreement(FTA) effect on agriculture in South Korea since the FTA strategy entered came into force. Research design, data, and methodology : This paper uses an improved gravity model that utilizes fixed-pair effects. To figure out the import structure, this model uses three main variables: pair, importer, and exporter dummies. The time variable is 2000 to 2020 and considers more than 200 countries. Results : Analysis found that after the FTA went into effect, Korea increased imports from FTA partners. In particular, in the early stages of the FTA, not only the size of imports increased, but the import structure also changed; that is, exporting countries shifted from non-FTA countries to FTA partners. Conclusions : This paper notes that continuous interest in international trade policies like the FTA is necessary. because as the global economic downturn spreads, damage to the domestic economy is visible. Also, it is necessary to prepare a new agricultural trade strategy separate from a national strategy that focuses on industrial sectors.