In 2014, South Korea signed free trade agreements (FTA) with several countries highlighted by the conclusion of the South Korea-China FTA.

President Park Geun-hye and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a summit in Beijing on November tenth and declared that their countries had reached the free trade deal. The announcement came 30 months after the two countries launched bilateral free trade talks. South Korea now has FTA's with the world’s three largest economies, including the U.S. and the European Union.

On November 15th, President Park and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key announced that they agreed to an FTA between their countries.

On December second, the National Assembly ratified FTAs with Australia and Canada during a plenary session. As a result, the South Korea-Australia FTA that was signed in April went into effect on December 12th. The South Korea-Canada FTA, which was signed on September 22nd, will go into effect on January first of next year.

The last country that South Korea adopted an FTA with this year was Vietnam. President Park and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung announced the conclusion of the trade deal after holding a summit in Busan on December tenth.

South Korea to date has concluded FTAs with 52 countries. The gross domestic product (GDP) of the countries that have concluded an FTA with South Korea amounts to 73-and-a-half percent of the world’s total GDP.

1. The Sinking of the Sewol Ferry & Special Sewol Law

2. Dissolution of Unified Progressive Party

3. June 4 Local Elections & July 30 By-elections

4. President Park Geun-hye’s Summit Diplomacy

5. UN General Assembly Passes New Resolution on N. Korea’s Human Rights, UN Security Council Places It on Its Agenda

6. S. Korea Expands “Economic Territory”

7. S. Korea Sees Trade Volume Surpass $1 Tln in Record Time

8. Shooting Rampage at GOP and Military Reform

9. Pope Francis Visits South Korea

10. Sochi Winter Olympics & The Incheon Asian Games