Two senior U.S. senators have urged for the swift ratification of the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA).

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus and a ranking member of the same committee, Charles Grassley, made the call in a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday. Baucus and Grassley called on efforts to begin what they called “the hard work” of passing the trade pact without delay, saying they will offer their full support in these efforts.

They cited that North Korea’s recent rocket launch clearly demonstrated the need for Seoul and Washington to strengthen their alliance through enhanced trade relations.

The two senators added, however, that ahead of efforts to seek parliamentary approval of the trade pact, South Korea has to ensure U.S. beef exporters full access to its market in accordance with international standards. The senators also said that South Korea's long history of nontariff barriers that effectively keep U.S. autos out of the South must be lifted.