Mad-cow worry leads South Koreans to put U.S. beef deal on hold

Fear unjustified, American official says

Credit: AP Photo

South Korean legislators had their heads shaved to protest U.S. beef.

By: JournalNow Staff | THE WASHINGTON POST
Published: June 04, 2008

SEOUL, South Korea

His popularity poisoned by anxiety about American beef, the president of South Korea, Lee Myung-bak backed away yesterday from a wildly unpopular agreement to resume imports of beef from the United States. Lee had personally approved the deal less than two months ago.

Lee's change of heart follows weeks of demonstrations by tens of thousands of South Koreans who are alarmed and angered about purported risks of mad- cow disease.

Just 100 days in office, Lee's approval ratings have sunk below 20 percent, a historic low so early in a South Korean president's term.

His government yesterday asked the United States to refrain from shipping beef from animals older than 30 months at time of slaughter, which many people here believe raises the risk of mad-cow infection to an unacceptable level.

Until the U.S. government complies, it appears that all beef imports will remain on hold.

Reaction from the United States was swift and negative.

"We think that the agreement that our two governments reached in April is a good agreement, that it's based on international science, and there's no scientific justification to postpone implementation," U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow said.

Vershbow added that the United States did not "see any need for renegotiation of the agreement" because it provides "very effective safeguards to ensure the health of Korean consumers."

He also said that U.S beef over 30 months old has been confirmed safe in many scientific tests.

Several leading U.S. beef companies said Monday that they would voluntarily begin labeling shipments to South Korea to indicate the age of cattle at time of slaughter. But it appeared that that action would not be enough to satisfy the Seoul government.

The ban that has substantially closed South Korea's market to American beef producers began after the first case of mad cow was confirmed in Washington state in 2003.

In April this year, Lee moved to lift the beef ban, without consulting many of his own advisers, his party or the public. He did so shortly before a meeting on trade with President Bush.