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S. Korea puts brakes on U.S. beef imports
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The South Korean government said today that it was delaying the planned resumption of U.S. beef imports, after a request from the ruling party and large weekend street protests.
Agriculture Ministry spokesman Kim Hyun Soo said the ministry had decided to put off the final administrative step needed to clear the way for imports to begin.
He offered no details, including how long the delay would last.
The ministry had earlier requested that new quarantine rules announced last week be officially published Tuesday in a government journal, which would allow for inspections of U.S. beef shipments to commence.
President Lee Myung Bak's Grand National Party, however, requested today that the ministry hold off, according to party spokeswoman Cho Yoon Sun.
The delay comes after tens of thousands of South Koreans took to the streets over the weekend to protest the government's decision to implement an April beef import agreement with the United States.
U.S beef has been banned by South Korea for more than four years over fears of mad cow disease.
A total of almost 60,000 people rallied in downtown Seoul over the weekend to denounce the government and call for the agreement to be scrapped.
Before the ban, South Korea was Nebraska's second-largest beef market, valued at $108 million annually. Japan was the biggest overseas market for Nebraska beef exports.
This story courtesy of the efforts of NCBA/USDA/AMI.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The South Korean government said today that it was delaying the planned resumption of U.S. beef imports, after a request from the ruling party and large weekend street protests.
Agriculture Ministry spokesman Kim Hyun Soo said the ministry had decided to put off the final administrative step needed to clear the way for imports to begin.
He offered no details, including how long the delay would last.
The ministry had earlier requested that new quarantine rules announced last week be officially published Tuesday in a government journal, which would allow for inspections of U.S. beef shipments to commence.
President Lee Myung Bak's Grand National Party, however, requested today that the ministry hold off, according to party spokeswoman Cho Yoon Sun.
The delay comes after tens of thousands of South Koreans took to the streets over the weekend to protest the government's decision to implement an April beef import agreement with the United States.
U.S beef has been banned by South Korea for more than four years over fears of mad cow disease.
A total of almost 60,000 people rallied in downtown Seoul over the weekend to denounce the government and call for the agreement to be scrapped.
Before the ban, South Korea was Nebraska's second-largest beef market, valued at $108 million annually. Japan was the biggest overseas market for Nebraska beef exports.
This story courtesy of the efforts of NCBA/USDA/AMI.