Local drug makers to take severe beating

The country’s pharmaceutical companies will face tough times ahead with the new Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement poised to strengthen patent rights for U.S. drug giants, heaping strain on the generic-focused Korean industry.

Defying strong protests from opposition parties, lawmakers, mostly from the ruling Grand National Party, railroaded the bill on the FTA on Tuesday. On Oct. 12, U.S. lawma...