A Washington Post editorial says that criticisms of the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA) by some lawmakers in the U.S. are overblown.

In an editorial titled "Trading Up," the paper said that following the U.S. midterm elections, the finalization and swift congressional approval of the FTAs with South Korea, Colombia and Panama should be among President Barack Obama's highest priorities for 2011.

The editorial said that criticism in Congress that the South Korea pact allegedly fails to open the Korean market sufficiently to U.S. autos and beef is overblown.

But it also says that "if changes to the most sensitive parts of the deal are the price of eventual congressional ratification, Obama should pursue them in good faith, and South Korea should also meet him half way."