US, S.Korea reach beef import deal, protests in Seoul continue

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-22  |     ONLINE EDITION

SOUTH Korea said it will resume imports of US beef after an agreement banning meat from older cattle, an attempt to soothe health concerns that have led to weeks of demonstrations against new President Lee Myung-bak.

Still, protest leaders argued the plan doesn't go far enough and staged the latest of their daily candlelight rallies yesterday.

Procedures to put the new import agreement into effect were to start Monday, Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon said, but it was not clear when American beef would reach South Korean markets.

Lee, a pro-US conservative who took office in February, agreed in April to allow resumed American beef imports, seeking to improve relations with Washington and pave the way for a larger free-trade deal between the two countries.

The beef-loving South has allowed intermittent imports of US beef since banning it in 2003 after the first case of mad cow disease was discovered there.

The April agreement to resume imports had few restrictions on what meat would be allowed, sparking protests against Lee for caving in to American demands and failing to consider public opinion about health risks.

In the wake of demonstrations that grew as large as 80,000 people, Lee replaced all his top advisers and his entire Cabinet also has offered to resign.

The demonstrations have since dwindled, and police said about 9,600 protesters gathered last evening in Seoul. Some protesters turned violent, dragging a police bus away from a barricade with ropes and smashing its windows, TV footage showed.

Riot police responded by spraying fire extinguishers at the demonstrators. There were no reports of serious injuries.

The US government had refused to renegotiate the April deal, worried it would set a precedent for other countries to back out of trade agreements.