South Korea's presidential office called Sunday for a parliamentary ratification of a free trade deal with Australia by the end of this year.
South Korea and Australia had signed a free trade agreement in April, which Seoul submitted to the National Assembly last month for approval.
The move by the presidential office came more than two weeks after Australia's Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb asked South Korea to quickly ratify a free trade deal.
Robb made the request during a meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se in Seoul, according to Yun's office.
Australia has completed parliamentary procedures for the free trade deal and awaits the prime minister's approval of it, largely seen as a formality. (Yonhap)
