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U.S., South Korea to discuss beef import impasse in WashingtonSEOUL, South Korea (AP)--Talks between the top U.S. and South Korean trade envoys aimed at resolving a political crisis in Seoul over renewing imports of American beef have been delayed by one day, the Foreign Ministry said June 17. South Korean Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon had been expected to meet his U.S. counterpart Susan Schwab in Washington on June 16 to discuss the issue. They talked on the telephone late June 16 and are expected to hold formal talks June 17 after technical discussions between the two sides, the ministry said in a statement. The U.S. presented a proposal to the South Koreans, a ministry official said without elaborating. He asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Talks recently on the dispute produced no immediate breakthroughs. South Korea is asking that U.S. exporters send meat only from younger cattle, considered less at risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, despite an April agreement that makes no such restrictions and statements from both governments that they do not intend to renegotiate the accord. "The two sides agreed to cooperate to produce a solution that can satisfy each other," the Foreign Ministry said June 16 in a statement. South Korea's government agreed in April to reopen its market for U.S. beef, scrapping nearly all quarantine regulations, following earlier curbs imposed because of BSE. But protesters in South Korea say the accord does not adequately protect against the illness and have put intense pressure on the pro-U.S. government of President Lee Myung-bak to change the import deal or resign. The Foreign Ministry said Seoul and Washington need more time to work out effective measures under which South Korea would only import beef from cattle younger than 30 months, adding the two sides will continue talks through diplomatic channels. Cattle older than 30 months are believed to be more susceptible to BSE. Other countries restrict imports of older American beef, such as Japan that only allows meat from cattle younger than 20 months. Lee vowed June 15 not to allow the import of meat from older cattle, in hopes of quelling public anger that triggered weeks of candlelight vigils and sometimes violent protests. Lee said he had a positive reply from the U.S. on measures under which the American beef industry would voluntarily not ship meat from cattle older than 30 months. Lee called the voluntary restraint the most rational measure to resolve the beef dispute. The entire Cabinet offered to resign in early June in an apparent attempt to dampen public anger.
Date: 6/20/08 Advertisement
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