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U.S., South Korea fail to bridge gap over beef ban
"Technical consultations" fail to produce import agreement SEOUL, South Korea (AP)--The United States failed to narrow differences with South Korea over Seoul's boycott of American beef, a news report said Feb. 8. Washington says the issue threatens a possible free trade deal. Agriculture officials from the two countries met for two days of "technical consultations" requested by Washington over South Korea's rejection of U.S. beef imports for containing banned bone fragments. The talks, however, failed to reach any agreement, Yonhap news agency reported, citing a South Korean Agriculture and Forestry Ministry official it did not identify. U.S. officials could not immediately be reached for comment. South Korea banned all imports of U.S. beef in December 2003 after the first reported U.S. case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Before the ban, South Korea was the third-largest overseas market for American beef. After tough negotiations, Seoul agreed last year to allow a partial resumption of imports, but specified that only boneless meat from cattle less than 30 months old would be permitted because it is considered safer from BSE . But tiny bone fragments were found in all three subsequent shipments from the U.S., which were rejected. The U.S. has defended the safety of American beef and accused South Korea of using the issue of bone fragments to impose an unofficial import ban. South Korea says it is an issue of food safety. Further angering Washington, South Korea also said the third shipment contained trace levels of the toxic chemical dioxin exceeding approved levels. The beef import issue, though not technically part of ongoing free trade talks, has still cast a shadow over them. Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler, Washington's negotiator in those talks, said last month that a deal would not be reached unless South Korea fully reopens its market to American beef. The two-day talks were dogged by protests led by angry cattle farmers and other anti-free trade demonstrators near the venue south of Seoul. About 80 farmers and protesters, some throwing eggs at a van carrying U.S. Department of Agriculture officials, rallied outside the meeting venue in Anyang, 23 kilometers (14 miles) south of Seoul. Kim Jin-il, one of the organizers, said 27 of the demonstrators were taken to a police station for questioning. Police refused to comment, citing an investigation. Protesters, carrying a sign printed with "Mad USA Cow Out of Korea," said they opposed any U.S. beef imports, calling them unsafe. South Korean official Yoon said the Feb. 8 session meeting began about 90 minutes behind schedule because of the protest. On Feb. 7, protesters burned an effigy of a U.S. cow painted with anti-free trade slogans. 5 Star OK 2/19/07 25 B Date: 2/15/07
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