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South Korea, U.S. to extend beef talksSEOUL, South Korea (AP)--South Korea and the United States plan to hold an extra day of talks on resuming trade in American beef and other agriculture issues, an official said March 21. Negotiators were to finish three days of talks March 21, but made no major progress and planned another session March 22, said Yoon Young-goo, an Agriculture and Forestry Ministry official. The talks are aimed at bridging gaps in the agricultural component of ongoing free trade talks between the two countries as well as over U.S. beef, which has been absent from South Korean markets for more than three years. South Korea banned American beef after Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy was discovered in the United States in December 2003. Efforts to restart imports were stymied by the discovery of prohibited bone fragments in three shipments last year. South Korea agreed to resume limited imports of U.S. beef last year, but stipulated that only boneless beef from cows under 30 months of age be allowed. Meat from older cows, along with bones, especially from the spinal area, are believed to be at greater risk for BSE . Eating meat contaminated with the illness is linked to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, a rare but deadly human nerve disorder. South Korea was formerly the third largest overseas market for U.S. beef. The ban on U.S. beef over BSE fears is technically not part of the free trade negotiations. U.S. lawmakers, however, have said it will be difficult for a free trade agreement to win legislative approval if the beef issue remains unresolved. South Korea and the United States are also at odds over rice, which Seoul wants to exclude from the free trade deal. Chief negotiators were also meeting in Washington this week to narrow differences in other sensitive issues, such as trade in autos. The two countries are trying to wrap up an agreement by March 31 because of the approaching end of U.S. President George W. Bush's Trade Promotion Authority, which allows him to send trade agreements to Congress for straight yes-or-no votes without amendments. Any deal also needs to be approved by South Korea's National Assembly. B 14 4/2/07 1 Star WK Date: 3/29/07
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