US Beef Protest Draws Close To 80,000 In South Korean Capital

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea's president said Wednesday that his government will make a fresh start, hours after an estimated 80,000 people gathered in the South Korean capital in the largest demonstration yet against the planned resumption of U.S. beef imports.

But President Lee Myung-bak warned that dismissing his entire Cabinet might cause "a vacuum in state affairs" amid rising oil prices and other economic difficulties.

"I thought about a lot of things while watching protests last night," Lee told leaders of small companies Wednesday morning, according to South Korean media pool reports. "The government intends to make a start with a new determination."

The government agreed in April to lift almost all restrictions that had been imposed on imports of U.S. beef over fears of mad cow disease. Opponents of the plan worry it does not do enough to protect citizens.

Lee's prime minister and the rest of his Cabinet have tendered their resignations in an attempt to defuse the weeks of protests over the decision that have paralyzed Lee's government. The president has not said whether he will accept the resignations.

South Korean media have reported Lee was considering naming Park Geun-hye, his popular chief rival in the ruling party, as prime minister to win back public confidence.

Presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said appointing Park is one of several options being considered to resolve the crisis.

The rally, which continued into early Wednesday, coincided with the anniversary of pro-democracy protests in 1987, which eventually led the country's military-backed regime to introduce direct presidential elections.

No clashes or injuries were reported in the Seoul rally. Police said they arrested about 20 protesters on charges of occupying major Seoul streets and causing traffic congestion.

Lee, a pro-American conservative, agreed in April just before a summit with President Bush to reopen the country's beef market _ resolving the issue that had long been an irritant in bilateral ties.

South Korea was the third-largest overseas customer for U.S. beef until it banned imports after a case of mad cow disease _ the first of three confirmed in the U.S. _ was detected in 2003.

Lee's government said it has asked the U.S. not to export beef from older cattle, considered at greater risk for the disease. But Lee has rejected calls for a complete renegotiation of the accord, citing possible diplomatic and trade disputes with the U.S.

"We're not considering a renegotiation," South Korean Deputy Trade Minister Ahn Ho-young told reporters Wednesday. "If we break our promise, the consequences are enormous. South Korea will become an unreliable country."

Both Seoul and Washington insist U.S. beef is safe, citing the Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health.

Comments

[thankulord13]

I say fight the beef because Oprah took on US beef and won so if she can do it so can the Koreans....

[dgscol]

If the source could be identified, there would be a cause for this uprising. For international trade, there ought to be an international label that tells you where something came from - in case of disease, or in this case mad cow. Instead all these items are intentionally mixed together in some instances and no one can tell where the problem lies. It is a system based on irresponsibility.

Not only this, but what is the sense of buying meat from Mexico and sending beef to S. Korea? In the name of the greening of the world, how about producing locally and consuming locally where possible?
It is only large distribution operations being crammed down people's throats that run contrary to common sense, that upset the what people would sensibly do otherwise.

[TooLooze]

What strikes me about this is that 80K Koreans pretested a health issue or any issue and that the Cabinet members offered their resignations.

[Jonahson]

The demonstrators are just expressing their frustration over South Korean still being treated like a vessel state of the US.

[bluegreen]

i watched a report on this issue on bbc news. they had an angle not mentioned in this article. according to the bbc, the main worry of the south koreans was that local farmers would be put out of business by lower-priced US beef, and they were protesting our int'l trade agreement. in other words, they're going thru the same thing we are. i'd like to see an article dealing with this subject.

[kirksong]

I have no sympathy for the ranchers who raise animals for slaughter, and people who eat those animals. Above and beyond the humane reasons for developing a plant based diet, the environment and world economy are devastated from raising huffed creatures for food. The cruelty, wasted resources, pollution, and adverse effects on the health of body and soul are immeasurable. Blood is on our hands... These helpless creatures have minds, spirits, and consciousness - love their offspring just like humans. As Gandhi Ji taught, you will know a country's greatness by how it treats its animals...

[bola47]

time for a mass protest at your local hyundai showroom.

[MagisterLudi]

NO more bulgogi for you, pal.

[KoolBreez]

Meat kills more people than drugs and alcohol put together

[MagisterLudi]

Hmmm,,,,, a juicy steak medium rare Kobe beef steak..... sizzling.....
are you sure my pale vegan pal.

[philinmedford]

uh oh, triggered the censors-- You know what the number one k i l l e r is don't you? *drum roll* - AIR, yep, if you keep on breathing that stuff you eventually will D I E!

[philinmedford]

You know what the number one killer is don't you? *drum roll* ---AIR, yep, if you keep on breathing that stuff you eventually will DIE!

[live]

Europeans test EVERY cow
how many does the US test????"???
last i heard the US was not ALLOWING individual ranchers to test ALLL THEIR OWN COWS....
why?

[UnknownSoldier]

The Euros eat horses, and the Koreans eat dogs aka sauteed Lassie with a side of Seabiscut

[Ides]

I think dog is illegal in Korea now.

[live]

just had a bison burger. EAT Buffalo!

[UnknownSoldier]

I'm going to have some American Buffalo/ Bison on friday, its better than beef and its Indigenous to America

[philinmedford]

Bar ack is for US Beef! I am pretty sure that I saw him coming out of a hamburger stand, but for sure he is for US Beef! May 17 (Bloomberg) -- Bar ack Ob ama, Democratic U.S. presidential candidate, told voters in South Dakota yesterday that Japan and South Korea must fully open their markets to U.S. beef, Kyodo News said.

Oba ma told a town hall meeting in the state the two countries are blocking beef imports from the U.S. because they don't want tougher competition from U.S. producers, Kyodo News reported from Washington, citing the candidate. The U.S. needs to take a tougher stance in trade negotiations to ensure that other countries open their markets, Oba ma was quoted as saying.

[AZM]

I wonder if they get upset over American-grown tomatoes?

[philinmedford]

I dunno, but don't get the ones imported from Mexico! "The tomatoes that have infected more than 167 Americans with a rare strain of salmonella probably came from Mexico, according to a representative from the New Mexico Department of Health"

[GerryS]

its a communist plot-

[MJD615]

I think the growers should hire more illegal immigrants to pick the tomatoes too.

[iPolitics]

Bush-McCain are responsible

[ThinkForYourself2]

Many countries won't allow U.S. meat to be imported for a variety of reasons and it's a wise choice. Kuddos to South Korea!

Growth Hormones, toxic chemicals, disease, etc., which can and do make us sick and diseased.

Wadda a country?


http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/

[GrainOSand]

The perfect storm of issues is gathering off the coast of our dreams. Will it be a tsunami of earth shattering, life defining, and life ending proportions?

Who cares, Obama does not wear a flag pin, and Britney Spears blew her nose yesterday. Those are the relevant stories. A diseased and drugged food supply I cannot be concerned with at this time.

[UnknownSoldier]

Yeah, Al Queda may taint our food supply before the corporations and take credit for it too.