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LONDON, Aug. 22-- The United Kingdom (UK) signed a continuity Free Trade Agreement with its major trade partner the Republic of Korea (ROK) on Thursday to ensure businesses keep trading freely in the event of a no-deal Brexit on Oct. 31, in a fresh effort to protect post-Brexit trade. The deal, signed by Secretary of State for International Trade (DIT) Liz Truss and ROK Minister of Trade Yoo Myung-Hee in London, replicates, as far as possible, the effects of the EU-Korea trade deal, allowing businesses to continue to benefit from preferential terms, the DIT said. The deal will come into effect immediately in the event of a no-deal Brexit as trade agreements that the UK is part of as an EU member state will no longer apply. The UK has signed 13 trade continuity agreements with 38 countries and regions so far, including Chile, Israel, Switzerland, and the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) trade bloc. The ROK is the first Asian trade partner the UK has secured a similar post-Brexit deal with bilateral trade stood at 14.6 billion pounds (16.2 billion U.S. dollars) in 2018. "My priority is to make sure that British businesses are fully prepared for Brexit and ready to trade on Thursday 31 October. That's why I'm delighted to sign this trade deal today with one of the biggest markets covered by existing EU trade agreements," Truss said. "It will allow businesses like Bentley and Denby to keep trading as they do today, and they will be able to take advantage of the opportunities that Brexit offers," she added. | 
