The leaders of Japan, China and South Korea have announced their countries will launch negotiations on a trilateral free-trade agreement by year's end. But the prospects are far from rosy.

The deal on the talks is seen by many experts as a by-product of, so to say, putting on too much makeup to brighten a dull complexion.

In reality, the signs are not promising that the three Asian countries — which together account for nearly 20 percent of global gross domestic product — will hold fruitful FTA talks in the foreseeable future. The main reason is South Korea.