The next G20 Summit, to be held November 11–12 in South Korea, is right around the corner. For free traders, the summit has taken on added meaning because of the promise President Obama made during the most recent G20 Summit held last June in Toronto to advance the U.S.-Korea free trade agreement (FTA):

The last time I was in Korea, I said that I would be committed to moving [the FTA] forward. And today I indicated to President Lee that it is time that our United States Trade Representative work very closely with his counterpart from the ROK to make sure that we set a path, a road, so that I can present this FTA to Congress…. I want to make sure that everything is lined up properly by the time that I visit Korea in November. And then in the few months that follow that, I intend to present it to Congress. It is the right thing to do for our country.

We agree, Mr. President. To help policymakers understand the high stakes and potential gains of the agreement, Cato Senior Fellow Doug Bandow has authored the new Cato Trade Briefing Paper, “A Free Trade Agreement with South Korea Would Promote Both Prosperity and Security,” released today.

A preview of Doug’s analysis also was published yesterday in the Daily Caller, under the title “South Korea Free Trade Agreement Key to Prosperity and Security.”