South Korea backs away from beef trade deal

[HAY MAKER]

Monday, May 19, 2008, 3:51 PM

by Peter Shinn

The U.S. is apparently agreeing to a modified beef deal with South Korea. And it looks like the new agreement leaves the door open to a new South Korean embargo of U.S. beef at any time.

According to the Yonhap News Service, the U.S.-South Korean beef trade agreement won't be based solely on World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) standards. Instead, South Korea will apparently reserve the right to again ban U.S. beef if another case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) should turn up in America.

The move comes amid South Korean protests against the government's decision to liberalize beef trade with the U.S. But the apparent concession by the U.S. is also highly unlikely to please lawmakers from beef producing states in America, most of whom have promised to block the pending U.S.-South Korean Free Trade Agreement if South Korea doesn't normalize its beef trading relationship with America.

Government spokespeople for the U.S. and South Korea downplayed the modified beef deal. South Korean officials say they still plan on reopening their market to U.S. beef. U.S. officials point out South Korea has the right under World Trade Organization guidelines to protect the health of its citizens from legitimate food safety threats.

 

[Sandhusker]

Another "NCBA success".

 

[ocm]

You don't win a negotiation with the Asians by cramming something down their throats. They are very patient and will get even.

 

[Anonymous]

May 26, 10:28 PM EDT


SKoreans protest against US beef deal

By KWANG-TAE KIM
Associated Press Writer

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Thousands of protesters marched through Seoul against a U.S. beef import pact that has renewed fears of mad cow disease. Police said Tuesday that 30 demonstrators were arrested after scuffling erupted.

A crowd estimated by police at 3,000 held a candlelight vigil Monday night before embarking on the march.

"Nullify the agreement," the protesters chanted as they were stopped by some of the 7,000 riot police blocking off streets downtown.

The rally ended in the early hours Tuesday as police dispersed the protesters, leading to clashes but no serious injuries, officials said.

Twenty-nine protesters were detained, according to a police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk with media.

The latest arrests came hours after police freed 36 out of 68 demonstrators detained at separate rallies over the issue Sunday. Police plan to decide how to handle 32 others by later Tuesday.

Thousands of South Koreans, mostly students and other young people, have held similar vigils and street rallies on a near daily basis against the April 18 deal to resume U.S. beef imports.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SKOREA_US_BEEF_RALLY?SITE=MTBIL&SECTION=INTERNATIONAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you NCBA for your continued support of Big Corporate Multinational Beef Industry over the US cattleman and US cattle industry... :wink:
Yep-- "Them thar dum furriner folk will et what we send them- and like it " :roll:

updated 34 minutes ago


Clashes over U.S. beef in S. KoreaStory



SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- Police in South Korea detained more than 200 protesters Sunday who clashed with officers over the country's decision to open its market to most U.S. beef, state media said.


Demonstrators protesting the lifting of a ban on U.S. beef clash with riot police in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday.

The country had banned imports in 2003 amid concerns over a case of mad cow disease in the United States.

The protesters were part of a 40,000-strong crowd who had gathered in central Seoul late Saturday night. Most dispersed after midnight, but a few hundred demonstrated in downtown streets into the early morning hours of Sunday, the news agency Yonhap said.

Riot police fired water cannons and scuffled with several protesters who tried to head for the presidential palace.

South Korea announced Thursday that it would resume importing U.S. beef as early as this month. The 2003 ban on imports closed what was then the third-largest market for U.S. beef exporters.

In downtown Seoul, thousands of people responded with regularly-staged protests, chanting "We don't want crazy cows." Authorities have dispatched more than 10,000 riot police everyday to keep the peace, Yonhap said.
-----------------------------------

In 2003, the United States exported $815 million pounds of beef and beef variety meats to South Korea. The U.S. beef industry has lost up to $4 billion since the market closed, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/06/01/skorea.usbeef/index.html

 

[Anonymous]

Beef News
Same story, different day: S. Korea delays imports of U.S. beef

By Tom Johnston on 6/2/2008 for Meatingplace.com




For the second time since agreeing to new standards for imports of U.S. beef in April, South Korea has delayed resumption of quarantine inspections as protests intensify in Seoul.

As throngs of South Koreans take to the streets and sign petitions in protest of the new protocol, which would allow nearly all bone-in and boneless U.S. beef product to enter commerce, President Lee Myung-bak's administration is scrambling to calm fears about the safety of U.S. beef.

Under the new deal, imports were slated to resume May 15, but Seoul delayed the action amid protests and acknowledged that it needed more time to educate the public. Last week, the government announced it would resume quarantine inspections on Tuesday, but it buckled again under the pressure of heightened opposition.

Police have arrested nearly 550 protesters since May 24. Many have been released, but some 300 people remain under interrogation, according to Agence France Presse.

Meanwhile, Lee, whose popularity has plummeted amid the controversy, reportedly promised "administrative shake-up measures" aimed at allaying public anger.

 

[MoGal]

It was on Bloomberg TV yesterday afternoon..... according to Sen. Max Baucus, is S. Korea does not accept US Beef the free trade agreement is a dead deal...... also packers have offered to label the meat (I'm gussing here with age similar to COOL).

It was a less than one minute blip so maybe they've got something to back it up on their website, I don't know.