Promoting Sustainable Development in International Trade

This chapter explores Korea’s evolving approach to integrating labor standards into its free trade agreements (FTAs) as part of sustainable development policy. A comparative analysis of 22 Korean FTAs reveals that the labor provisions vary in content and enforceability, reflecting the influence of negotiating partners rather than a coherent national policy. The chapter also analyses the Korea–EU FTA labor dispute – the first case to interpret Korea’s labor obligations under an FTA – showing how the panel of experts provided concrete guidance on treaty interpretation and clarified Korea’s responsibilities regarding domestic labor law reforms. The case signals growing scrutiny of labor provisions in trade agreements and the need for coherent domestic policy responses.