February 2008

No deal on FTA if ban on U.S. beef not lifted (Feb 2008) The chief U.S. negotiator for the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement is repeating the same message: Korea has to open its market to U.S. beef imports if it wants the U.S. to ratify the deal. In an interview with the JoongAng Daily yesterday, Wendy Cutler said U.S. legislators are refusing to approve the deal because Korea has not yet lifted its ban on U.S. beef. The ban was imposed after an outbreak of mad cow disease in the United States in 2003.

"In the U.S., we need active and strong support from our agricultural community to really move the FTA through our Congress," said Cutler, who attended President Lee Myung-bak"s inauguration ceremony on Monday. "It's critical that we resolve our beef issue so we can get the necessary support from key legislators, key congressmen and important stakeholders for the FTA," she said. The resumption of U.S beef imports was not on the agenda during FTA negotiations last year. But many U.S. lawmakers with farmers in their constituencies are threatening to vote against the bill unless the beef import issue is resolved. "Certain senators and congressmen told us, "If you resolve the beef issue, we will vote yes on the FTA. But if you don't resolve the beef issue, don't count on our support," she said.

Under pressure, Seoul is considering allowing bone-in beef from cattle aged 30 months or younger, according to the proposal by the Agriculture Ministry to the new administration. But Cutler said the proposal is not going to please Washington. "Frankly, we are not interested in partial market opening," she said.

Efforts in Korea to ratify the pact, the nation's largest-ever trade agreement and the second largest for the United States, have also stalled. The Korean government submitted the bill this month to the National Assembly, but lawmakers, also mindful of rural voters and April"s general election, are dragging their heels. The World Organization for Animal Health (O.I.E.) now considers the U.S. a "risk-controlled country" for mad cow disease, which gives a green light to eating U.S. beef. But several Asian countries, including Korea, argue that the U.S. has not yet fully established safety measures against a possible mad cow outbreak. "We would like to resolve the issue based on science, put it behind us and get the FTA deal ratified in both countries," Cutler said. "Even if we did not have the FTA, we would still be urging our Korean colleagues, like we're urging our Chinese, Japanese and Taiwanese counterparts, to open up their beef market fully in accordance with O.I.E. guidelines."

Korea's new president, who officially took office on 25 Feb, is a long-term proponent of the trade bill, which is projected to increase Korea's gross domestic product by 9 trillion won ($9.6 billion) a year. President Lee expressed his support for the free trade in his inauguration speech. "Opening of the market to the foreign sector is an unavoidable mega-trend. Such an economy as ours, which depends so much on exports, should increase our national wealth through free trade pacts," Lee said.

The political waters, however, are less favorable in the United States. Both Democratic presidential hopefuls -- Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton -- have repeatedly voiced opposition to the bill. However, Cutler expressed optimism to the fate of the pact, stressing the different legislative procedures in the United States make it more difficult to submit the bill hastily. "I remain hopeful that we are going to do it [ratify the FTA] this year under President Bush"s leadership," she said. "I think the prospects are good. They are tough but good." Korea's National Assembly has no deadline to review a legislative bill, while the U.S. Congress, once the bill is submitted, has only 90 days to mull over a proposal before it is either passed or rejected. "We have to think very carefully when to submit the bill and do everything we can to assure we have an accurate vote count for the agreement before the bill is submitted," Cutler said. (Source: Joongang Ilbo.)

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March 2008

On March 5, 2008, US government report urges South Korea to open its beef market to foreign beef.


Anti-US Beef Protest at Bosingak, Seoul (4 Mar 2008)

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April 2008

On April 11, 2008, South Korea, US start second round of SPS talks. On April 18, 2008, South Korea, US agree on new SPS standards for beef. Assistant Agriculture Minister Min Dong-seok and USDA Deputy Under Secretary Ellen Terpstra sign off on new deal. On April 28, 2008, South Korea's opposition parties agree to hold parliamentary hearing on beef negotiations.

S. Korean gov't pushing for resolution of U.S. beef import standoff (Apr 2008) South Korea is considering resolving the U.S. beef import standoff by removing a major barrier to an early ratification of a free trade deal with the United States, sources said 13 Apr. Government sources said the issue has dragged on for too long, while U.S. lawmakers say they will not ratify the free trade agreement signed last June unless the beef import matter is resolved.

A U.S. delegation led by Ellen Terpstra, U.S. deputy under secretary for farm and foreign agricultural services, has engaged in talks with her South Korean counterparts since 11 Apr to reach an understanding. "The goal of all negotiations is to reach a resolution," said Assistant Agriculture Minister Min Dong-seok, hinting that Seoul may want to conclude negotiations on this matter this time around. The top negotiator representing the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said a "balance of interest" is being sought that would permit a revised sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement to be reached.

Seoul and Washington signed an SPS deal in January 2006 that allowed South Korea to import boneless beef from animals under 30 months old. South Korea like many other countries banned American beef imports after a case of mad cow disease was confirmed in the U.S. in December 2003. That agreement also banned the import of so-called specified risk materials (SRMs). SRMs, including backbones, head bones, brains, spinal cords and certain organs, are blacklisted because they pose the greatest risk of transmitting mad cow disease to humans.

The United States, however, has called for South Korea to acknowledge the U.S. as a mad cow disease "risk controlled" country. Washington received the risk controlled classification last May from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), technically allowing it to export beef with almost no restrictions. The country currently exports beef to 117 countries, of which 96 impose no restrictions or few conditions.

The two sides held talks in mid October but made little headway, with Washington insisting on unfettered access and Seoul insisting on "minimum safety" measures to ensure the health of South Koreans. American beef has been imported since April of last year, but all quarantine inspections were halted in early October after exporters repeatedly shipped packages containing SRM materials.

Related to the talks, that some say could result in a breakthrough this week, experts said that Seoul may give up the age limit on butchered animals and make some concessions on SRMs in line with OIE recommendations. They said that there is already considerable agreement on allowing bone-in-beef, such as ribs to be imported. Of the 200,000 tons that were imported in 2003, roughly 60 percent were ribs. In the past, SRMs and the 30-month age limit were considered important because SRMs were looked on as health risks and most cases of mad cow disease were found in older animals. "This, however, has technically changed since the U.S. received the 'risk controlled' country designation from the OIE," said a government insider, who declined to be identified. He said maintaining the past position could result in a trade dispute. He said, however, that because the OIE cited lax control over protein-based feed in the United States, there is room for negotiations as well as for calling on the United States to lift its own restrictions on South Korean beef and chicken imports.

U.S. lawmakers reviewed a bill that would have enforced tougher controls over protein-based feed in 2005, although the bill made little headway due to opposition from the business sector. Seoul has asked the U.S. to declare South Korea a zone clean of foot-and-mouth disease, which could open the door for premium Korean beef to be exported to the U.S. Efforts are also being made to ease restrictions that have prevented the sale of canned ginseng chicken soup in the U.S.

Such "backpedaling" by the government, however, is already drawing fire from civic groups and the progressive Democratic Labor Party. These groups claim the OIE recommendations are not binding and that South Korea as part of the World Trade Organization has the right to enforce sanitary rules on imports to protect the health of its citizens. They also said that while many countries have moved to open their markets to U.S. beef, Japan and Taiwan maintain some restrictions. Despite this opposition, many in the government suggest that Seoul may accept a promise by Washington to tighten control over protein-based feed in exchange for rewriting the sanitary and phytosanitary regulations that would ease age limits and allow the importing of bones and internal organs.

ffd The currenfdt round of talks are slated to run until 14 Apr, but they may be extended to 17 Apr, depending on progress made. (Source: Yonhap News.)

f As of 14 Agpfvr, South Korea and the US remained at odds over rewriting Seoul's beef import rules, but negotiations will continue to find middle ground, a governfgment official said. Assistant Agriculture Minister Min Dong-seok told reporters that Seoul offered to allow bone-in beef into the country if the butchfvdered animals were under 30 months old. However, he said that the U.S. insisted on unfettered market access.

South Korean farmers and cattle groups on 14 Apr called for a halt to negotiations that could lead to the rewriting of import conditions for U.S. beef. In a meeting with Agriculture Minister Chung Woon-chun, representatives from the Hanwoo Association, the Korea Dairy Beef Farmers Association and the Korea Swine Association said they cannot understand why the government is holding talks at this juncture. (Source: Yonhap News.) (SITE NOTE: The negotiations is simple. Do you want the FTA or not? There is NO in-between ground for the US.)

S. Korea effectively opens its market to U.S. beef (Apr 2008) South Korea and US agreed to revise Seoul's import sanitation rules, effectively opening the local market to most U.S. beef cuts, the government said on 19 Apr. The deal made in Seoul closely mirrors recommendations from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) that set standards to prevent the spread of mad cow disease, the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said.

In the past, ministry officials claimed that OIE standards are not binding, and that each member state has the right to ask for more safeguards and assurances to protect the health of its citizens. OIE guidelines include rules on the age of butchered animals and specified risk materials (SRMs), which are parts like the brain and certain internal organs that pose the greatest risk of causing bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), more commonly called mad cow disease, in humans.

Under the new import conditions that will go into effect early in May, South Korea has agreed to lift all restrictions on non-SRM parts for meat from U.S. cattle under 30 months old, the ministry said. The age limit as a guideline had been a stumbling block in the past because most animals that contract BSE are older than 30 months. "If the meat is from an animal under 30 months old, only tonsils and distal ileum, a small portion of the small intestine, will be banned, along with processed food like sausages made from such parts," said Assistant Agriculture Minister Min Dong-seok.

South Korea's chief negotiator to the talks added that all bone-in beef, such as ribs and T-bone steak, are to be imported without restrictions, along with intestines, various internal organ, tails and legs, which are used in many traditional Korean recipes. The first shipment of beef under the revised rules will be imported around mid-May, the official said.

South Korea first halted imports of U.S. beef in late 2003 after Washington confirmed its first case of mad cow disease. The country reopened its market in April 2007, but stopped all quarantine inspections in early October after U.S. exporters repeatedly violated regulations on shipments of bone-in beef.

The assistant minister then added that if the U.S. makes an official pledge to strengthen its control and monitoring over the manufacture and sale of protein-based feeds, Seoul will permit meat from animals over 30 months old, as long as additional SRMs are removed. "Under guidelines set by the OIE, the U.S. only needs to remove the brain, eyes, skull, spinal cord marrow and vertebrae from older animals," he pointed out, hinting that Seoul is not in a position to reject Washington's requests on this issue. Protein feed made from cloven-hoofed animals has been cited for causing BSE in cattle, and has been banned. The U.S. does not give such feed to cattle, but there have been lingering concerns of feed meant for other animals going to cattle.

The expert, however, conceded that while the U.S. has pledged to make changes to upgrade its animal feed regime, allowing the import of meat from animals over 30 months old is not contingent on enforcement of these standards. Washington pushed for strengthened feed requirements in 2005, but made no headway because of opposition from the business community.

"The negotiations were tough and every effort was made to push for balanced interest gains," Min said, adding that Seoul, as a member of the OIE, was obliged to follow guidelines set by experts in the field. Since May 2007, the U.S. has been classified as a "risk controlled" country in terms of mad cow disease, and has called on Seoul to make changes to its import standards accordingly. The classification technically allows U.S. meat producers to export beef with almost no restrictions, and with minor limits with regard to SRMs. The country currently exports beef to 117 countries, of which 96 impose few or no conditions. Under the revised rules, South Korea will not be able to halt quarantine inspections even if a suspected mad cow case has been reported, said the assistant minister.

The only time a ban can be imposed is if the U.S. loses its current OIE status, or fails to meet key criteria set by the organization. Seoul can, however, can send back shipments of beef from meat processors that send SRMs or beef parts contaminated with harmful materials, and could stop imports from the exporter if problems persist.

Min, meanwhile, said that accusations that Seoul made concessions to convince U.S. lawmakers to ratify the bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) that was signed in June are pure speculation. He said that the FTA and the summit between South Korean President Lee Myung-balk and U.S. President George W. Bush did not impact the talks during the last eight days. The former diplomat then said that Washington agreed to look favorably upon lifting regulations that would allow the export of Korean ginseng chicken soup and premium Korean beef to the U.S.

The new rules, whose full texts will be released next week, will replace the present sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) reached in early 2006. The old rules allowed the U.S. to export boneless beef from animals under 30 months old, with the exceptions of SRMs and internal organs. Seoul also reserved the right to halt quarantine inspections, which effectively stopped imports in the past. (Source: Yonhap News.) (SITE NOTE: If we understand this right, the ROK buckled, BUT said it could put the same system to block imports if it wants to. Meaning? If the FTA doesn't go through, it is back to business as usual.)

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May 2008

On May 2, 2008, First candlelight vigil held to protest government decision to open market to US beef. Government holds press conference to refute unfounded rumours on US beef safety. On May 6, 2008, Government, ruling party agree to tighten country-of-origin rules for beef. On May 7, 2008, opposition lawmaker demand renegotiation of US beef import pact at parliamentary hearing. Agriculture minister announces South Korea's intent to ban beef imports if new mad cow case discovered in the United States. On May 8, 2008, Prime Minister Han Seung-soo [Han Su'ng-su] confirms Seoul's intent to ban US beef if mad cow case is reported in the U nited States. On May 9, 2008, Candlelight vigils protesting US beef imports spread throughout South Korea. On May 13, 2008, US Trade Representative (USTR) Susan Schwab announces Washington to accept South Korean import ban if further US mad cow case confirmed. On May 14, 2008 - Government delays official posting of new SPS to domestic review criticism about pact. On May 15, 2008, talks begin with United States to clarify South Korea's quarantine rights, definition on specified risk materials (SRMs). On May 17, 2008, anti-US beef rally draws 16,000 protestors throughout South Korea. On May 20, 2008, South Korean Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon announces the exchange of a diplomatic letter confirming South Korea's right to ban imports in case of mad cow case and clarifying definition of SRMs. On May 22, 2008, South Korean president apologizes for failing to understand the public concerns about mad cow disease. He reiterates his administration's stance to suspend US beef imports if the health of the Korean people is threatened by unexpected situations in the US. On May 26, 2008, Agriculture ministry announces second delay in the official posting of new SPS to reflect new support measures for local cattle farmers, alleviate public health concerns. On May 29, 2008, Agriculture minister Chung Woon-jun [Cho'ng Un-ch'o'n] request posting of revised SPS rules on government gazette that will officially open local market to most US beef cuts.

U.S. Beef Imports Fuel Online Scaremongering (May 2008) The impending resumption of imports of U.S. beef has spawned a proliferation of rumors on the Internet about the perils of mad cow disease, amplifying confusion and fears among consumers. This was not helped by the airing of an edition of “PD Diary”, the famous MBC current affairs program, on Tuesday, which claimed that 94 percent of Koreans have genes that make them more susceptible than Americans or Britons to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), which is the human variant of mad cow disease, and this physical trait makes Koreans two to three times more likely than Americans or Britons to contract the disease. (SITE NOTE: This was widely ridiculed, but the Korean housewives believed it. The ridicule is starting to question whether the ROK people are able to think critically at all -- or just believe anything that appears on television like mindless vegetables. South Korean health authorities stressed on 3 May that the death of man in 2006 from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) was entirely unrelated to the consumption of beef. The Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said a person identified only by his family name of Kim died of the brian wasting disease in October 2006. Another example of the Korean mindless-hysteria is that currently Korean fried chicken shops are just about empty because of the avian flu spreading -- even though there is proof that if you fry the chicken, the virus is destroyed. Despite this housewives are avoiding chicken in general -- and some are even avoiding eggs. The progressives have been the primary ones stirring the pot -- and holding rallies with farmers protesting the FTA which is linked to the boneless beef imports.)

A tepid and delayed response from the government is only fueling fears. The personal blog of President Lee Myung-bak, who promised that resuming import of U.S. beef will bring high-quality and low-priced beef to the table, has been virtually shut down by Internet users who bombarded it with messages protesting against the decision.

Even madly unscientific rumors like, “Jelly, cookies, a broiled dish of sliced rice pasta and pizza will cause mad cow disease,” or, “Cosmetic products, sanitary napkins, and diapers are also risky because parts of cattle are used in production,” exhorting consumers to hoard such items before the imports, are spreading on the Internet.

Regarding the genetic vulnerability of Koreans, for instance, an official at the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said this is completely unfounded. Some radical critics of the import of U.S. beef are taking this issue politically further still, organizing an online petition to impeach the president. As of 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, 418,000 people have signed the petition on Daum, one of the largest Internet portal sites in Korea. The drive aims at 10 million signatures. A government official said the situation is baffling because the movement is beginning to take on an anti-American hue, just like the 2002 death of two schoolgirls under the wheels of a U.S. armored vehicle led to an anti-American wave swept the entire country. (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)


No U.S. beef: Thousands of Korean residents sit in a candlelight rally at the plaza in front of the Cheonggye stream, Friday, opposing the full opening of the local market to U.S. beef./ Yonhap (SITE NOTE: The Koreans love candlelight rallies especially after the effectiveness of the 2002 anti-US campaigns. It is the favorite progressive activist ploy to obtain public support as it is a peaceful protest -- yet significant if sufficent numbers turn out. It sends powerful visual messages.)

Students Protest Imports of US Beef in Candlelight Rally (May 2008) Public anger has erupted on concerns over the planned import of American beef this month. Numerous government Web sites including that of Cheong Wa Dae are being bombarded with Internet users' messages denouncing the decision, even calling it ``humiliating and miserable diplomacy.'' The government is afraid that the online boycott campaign might trigger anti-American sentiment it experienced in 2002 when two Korean girls were killed by a U.S. armored vehicle. Several Web sites working to impeach President Lee Myung-bak were recently established for his role of spearheading the imports. The controversial deal has brought down President Lee's approval rating to a record low of 35.1 percent since he took the top job in February, according to CBS.

Several street rallies opposing the U.S. beef import are scheduled for the weekend. One such rally ? by candlelight ? was held at the plaza of Cheonggye stream in central Seoul Friday night. More than 10,000 protesters including numerous school uniform-clad youngsters and office workers held candles, chanting ``Lee Myung-bak!! Eat the mad cow yourself first,'' and ``Impeach the President.'' An Internet community (cafe.daum.net/antimb) organized the protest. As of 10 p.m. on Friday, more than 500,000 angry Internet users joined a signature-collection campaign that has run since April 6 to impeach Lee. ``Under the changed regulations, nothing guarantees students' health. That's why we has come here to protect our health as well as our juniors,'' said Han Joo-eun, a third grader at Sunrin Internet High School, who joined the rally with four friends.

An office worker in his 40s who wanted to remain anonymous said, ``As a father with two children and an individual who would consume the questionable meat, I cannot help being angered. We should go to all the lengths to halt the scheduled import.'' Rep. Kang Ki-kab of the progressive minority Democratic Labor Party, who made an unexpected visit to the scene, also denounced the government, saying ``I can't accept the result of the negotiations. The government should re-negotiate with the U.S.''

``It's an unequal treaty, significantly threatening Koreans' health,'' Kim Eun-joo, the Internet community's operator, told The Korea Times. ``It's not just a matter of us avoiding marked American beef (if we are concerned about its safety) since a wide range of foods we consume are made with ingredients from cows. That means all Koreans will be exposed to the risk of mad cow disease.''

``The U.S. beef would definitely be served to students. I am afraid to let my children go to school. If the import plan goes unchanged, I would persuade parents to boycott schooling,'' Kim said. An investigative TV program reporting on the risk of U.S. beef aired by MBC Tuesday sparked the public anger. According to the program, Koreans are genetically more susceptible to the human variant of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, compared to Western people who have consumed the controversial meat for the past decades. It also showed a slaughterhouse in the U.S. where apparently mad cow disease-infected cows passed quarantine inspection after electric shock treatment to see if they could stand up.

Korean celebrities also joined in the protest. TV personality Kim Ga-yeon, 36, urged President Lee and his secretaries to eat American beef first before importing it. Another female actress Kim Min-seon, 29, also blamed the government for importing alleged ``germ-filled'' U.S. beef. `I would gulp poison rather than eat U.S. beef,'' she said on her homepage. (Source: Korea Times.)

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More Mad Cow Lies, This Time From Teachers (May 2008) The North Chungcheong Province chapter of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union posted on its Internet homepage materials its member teachers can use to get students to oppose the import of U.S. beef. The material says mad cow disease stems from greedy Americans who raise cattle in "very unsanitary" conditions by keeping them holed up in pens. The chapter of the left-wing teachers' union instructed members to pick up copies of visual materials and CDs related to mad cow disease. Postings by visitors on the union's homepage include claims that instant noodles, pills, sanitary napkins and even chocolate snacks can transmit mad cow disease. (SITE NOTE: The point of ridiculousness was reached when they mentioned "sanitary napkins" (kotex) spreading the disease.)

That's not all. During a Children's Day festival on 5 May, a group of teachers affiliated with the North Chungcheong chapter of KTEWU displayed balloons and banners saying, "We Don't Want American Mad Cow Beef." At the festival, the teachers had students play a game where kids got to show whether they liked President Lee Myung-bak or not by placing stickers expressing their views. Hundreds of stickers are said to have expressed "dislike" for Lee, while only four stickers showed students "like" the president. One elementary school teacher who used to serve as the head of the Jeju Island chapter of KTEWU is teaching class while holding a hunger protest to demonstrate his opposition to U.S. beef. These are ignorant, irresponsible and futile teachers.

Right now groundless rumors are circulating among young Korean students that Americans do not eat U.S. beef, that consuming just 0.01 g of U.S. beef will kill you and that BSE is an airborne disease. There's even a ludicrous rumor that a farmer in Ulsan died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, the human strain of mad cow disease. Shaken by such groundless rumors, we are seeing 15-year-old students attending candle-light vigils protesting U.S. beef imports, holding banners saying they've only lived a short life. This is the state of our country. At one such vigil on Tuesday, a third grader shouted that President Lee should stuff himself with U.S. beef.

Back in 2003 the KTEWU posted false anti-war information on its website about the Gulf War, asking teachers to use the information as educational materials. The material claimed that 6,000 Iraqi soldiers had been buried alive by U.S. tanks and that incidents of cancer in Iraq had gone up 700 percent since the war. Even now, instead of trying to protect students from falling for these ludicrous lies, KTEWU member teachers are trying everything to increase their fear. It is the reality of our educational system that these people, who call themselves teachers, are responsible for educating our children. (Source: Chosun Ilbo.) (SITE NOTE: The KTEW has used North Korean posters in their teaching of elementary students and some teachers even went so far as teaching the North Korean juche principles in class. The Roh administration created a leftist educational system that is now under attack by the conservative LMB administration. Thus the KTEW is fighting back -- even starting up the impeach LMB campaigns.)

Korean-Americans Try to Calm Mad Cow Fears (May 2008) Korean-American organizations in New York, Washington and Los Angeles on 5 May expressed concern about a health scare surrounding American beef in South Korea. Korean-Americans, who on the whole consume more beef than average Koreans, said they don't understand why a demagogic slogan such as "I'd rather swallow potassium cyanide than eat American beef" has persuasive powers in their motherland.

In response, a group of unidentified (no name, no address) "Korean-American housewives" wrote to a popular TV show on 6 May that they did NOT support the view that the US beef was safe. However, immediately these comments were brought into doubt because no one can verify who they are. Then came Lee Sun-young, a housewife in Atlanta, who became an instant star after she expressed her opinion in MBC TV's ``100 Minute Debate'' via phone. In a very logical and calm manner, Lee spoke of advanced meat recovery products and said that not all Americans are happy with the meat they. Internet users assessed her later as a lot better than the panelists in the debate program. She later called up the organizers of the candlelit vigils and expressed her support. All participants welcomed her logical, sensible yet passionate speech.

In a press conference, four Korean-American organizations in the Washington, D.C. area, including the Korean Society of Maryland and the Korean American Association of Washington Metropolitan Area, said rumors about mad cow disease are either unfounded or exaggerated. "Some anti-American people and those with insidious political purposes are misleading the public that the U.S. is exporting low-quality food which Americans don't eat," they said. This was "a shameless act by those who care only about their own beliefs or interests."

In a similar press conference, Los Angeles groups such as the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles, the Korean Restaurants Association, and the Korean American Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles urged South Koreans to remain cool-headed. "There is no 100 percent safe food in the world. But American beef is more thoroughly managed than anywhere else," they claimed. KACCLA president Lee Chang-yup said, "I'm not going to speak for the U.S., but I'd like to say that you don't have to worry much about" American beef "because we trust the American public health system."

Kang Nam-jung, the owner of a restaurant in Fairfax County, Virginia said, "I've been operating a restaurant and catering business in the U.S. for 26 years. I'm concerned about increasing beef prices in the wake of the U.S. decision to export beef to Korea. Frankly, prices will be stabilized and my business will perform fine if American beef is not exported. I can't understand what's happening in Korea now."

Kim Won-ho, the owner of Warner Meat, a large-scale meat wholesaler equipped with its own slaughter facilities in New York, said, "It's wrong to say that the U.S. will export beef that is different from that intended for domestic consumption to Korea. The U.S. also imports beef to make up for its supply shortage. But it is enthusiastic about exporting the meat considering that each importing country has its own preference for beef parts. Be it for domestic consumption or for export, beef is cut from cattle after undergoing identical slaughter processes."

Some Korean-Americans were aggrieved at a tendency in Korea to view American beef as the carrier of mad cow disease. A Korean customer at a restaurant in Annandale, Virginia frequented by many Korean Americans said, "Does it make sense that the same beef we eat here is regarded by Koreans as the carrier of mad cow disease?" An employee of the restaurant said, "We've cooked here with beef certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 15 years, but we've never worried about mad cow disease." (Source: Chosun Ilbo.) (SITE NOTE: The Koreans retort that the Americans are NOT eating the same beef. They claim that the Americans are eating beef UNDER 30-months of age which are less susceptible to mad-cow disease, but the US wants to ship beef OVER 30-months of age which is more susceptible to Korea. How can one counter insanity?)

Koreans Have Beef With Korean Americans (May 2008) On 12 May, the New America Media reported that Korean American community organizations across the United States held meetings to rebut the South Koreans' protests over the safety of U.S. beef and to clarify misunderstandings. At a press conference in Los Angeles, the immigrant community leaders tried to assure South Korean journalists that U.S. beef is one of the safest in the world and that the spreading rumors in Korea about the dangers of mad cow disease from U.S. beef was baseless scaremongering.

"Korean Americans, who share the same blood with the motherland's people, consume everyday the beef from the cattle raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States. In 105 years of Korean American immigration history, there has been not a single incident where a Korean American died of mad cow disease," noted Yong Tae Lee, a medical doctor.

When the media in South Korea reported the immigrant response, there was a backlash against Korean Americans from the homeland. It's similar to American Jews being attacked for criticizing Israel's Palestinian policy. Proving its position as the most wired country in the world, Korean cyberspace has crackled with South Koreans' disappointment towards the immigrants. They accuse Korean Americans for not standing up for Korea, or worse – of being a lapdog of the American government. One reader of JoongAng Ilbo, a major daily newspaper in South Korea, wrote in the comment section, "Korean Americans are those who would aim guns at us if Korea goes to war against the United States."

Few critics approached their targets directly. "Few strangers who recognized me in the streets after watching a TV interview expressed their anger," said Moon Ki Nam, president of Los Angeles Korean American Federation, who spoke boldly about the Korean Americans' belief in the safety of U.S. beef. In numerous interviews with South Korean media, he tried to persuade Korea's public opinion. "Some Koreans are demanding a blind loyalty from Korean Americans," said Nam, who is visiting the country on a business trip.

Despite these efforts, public demonstrations continue and the chasm between the Korean American community and their motherland deepens. On the L.A. Korean American Federation's website, dozens of South Koreans have posted writings denouncing Korean Americans. According to Kye Young Park, an anthropology professor at Univ. of California, Los Angeles labeling Korean Americans as inconsiderate of the motherland's interest is an act of misunderstanding of the fluid dynamics of the immigrant community. "Although Korean Americans have largely aligned with culture and overall opinions of Korea, I suspect, their positions in regard to interests of the adopted country, and the country of origin, are not rigid," said Park. (Source: New America Media.)

Teeny-bopper Anti-Beef Protest

Anti-US Beef Campaigns Continue (May 2008) Anti-U.S. beef campaigns continued on 6 May with a series of demonstrations throughout the day. Thousands of protesters gathered at Cheonggye Plaza in downtown Seoul yesterday evening for a third candlelight vigil to show their determination to halt imports of U.S. beef. Citizens were disappointed once again by the new administration which merely repeated its position that the beef imports are safe, rebuffing our concerns as lacking evidence, said the rally organizer, an online group called michincow.net. (SITE NOTE: Michincow means "crazy cow.")

Another group of an estimated 10,000 people held a separate silent candlelight vigil in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido to add pressure to lawmakers ahead of a parliamentary hearing on U.S. beef imports on 7 May. Simultaneous vigils were also staged in numerous areas across the nation - Busan, Jeju and Cheonju - around 8 p.m.

Although the police permitted the candlelight campaigns on condition the participants did not shout political slogans or engage in destructive picketing, they dispatched officers from 63 different stations to the locations to prevent any illegal activities. Earlier on 6 May, a group composed of over a thousand civic activists, politicians, students and parents organizations launched a countermeasure committee on U.S. beef imports in central Seoul. The ceremony was also attended by a number of opposition lawmakers, including Choi Jae-cheon and Chun Jung-bae from the United Democratic Party, Kang Ki-kab of the Democratic Labor Party, Moon Kook-hyun of the Renewal of Korea Party and Sim Sang-jeong of the New Progressive Party.

Meanwhile, middle and high school students nationwide were planning to skip classes in favor of an anti-U.S. beef protest on May 17, according to media reports. Pledging to step up measures to contain the protests, Education Minister Kim Doh-yeon called an emergency meeting of 16 superintendents today. "We decided we can;t play the speculators role anymore as endless and evidence-lacking rumors are spreading on this issue," a ministry official said. The minister himself and regional superintendents will brainstorm to draft specific and effective plans. The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs on 6 May held another information session at the Foreign Ministry complex to respond to reporters questions. The first session, involving the agriculture and health ministers, was conducted on 2 May. (SITE NOTE: The government will return quarantine inspections, but will not open renegotiations -- which the US has refused to do.) (Source: Korea Herald.)




VIDEO: Active X required. Peaceful candlelight vigil (6 May 2008) (Donga.com)










Koreans to hold candlelight vigils against U.S. beef imports (May 2008) Tens of thousands of South Koreans opposing the upcoming resumption of U.S. beef imports were to hold candlelight vigils later on 9 May, organizers said, while government officials strove to dispel mounting concern over mad cow disease. President Lee Myung-bak vowed Seoul will suspend American beef imports if a case of mad cow disease occurs in the United States, and Prime Minister Han Seung-soo pledged to seek a revision of a Seoul-Washington beef accord if necessary. Advertisements ran on front pages of local newspapers.

However, the assurances did little to quell public anger against the government that struck the deal in mid-April to allow the imports of almost all U.S. beef cuts without public consultations. About 30,000 individuals have taken to streets and waved candles in downtown Seoul since late last week after Internet bloggers proposed candlelight vigils. The peaceful vigils will draw as many as 50,000 people Friday night, with the beef accord set to take effect next week, organizers said. "We set the Cheonggye square as the venue tonight, but we are now looking for a larger place because that won't be big enough to accommodate all the people and may cause accidents," said Park Won-seok, a main organizer of the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, one of about 1,500 civic groups and Internet communities organizing the vigils. (SITE NOTE: The People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy is also the same folks who led some of the bloodiest demonstrations during the Roh Moo-hyun administration -- and patently received the blessing of the progressive government. Now it is back again, but LMB's government wants to keep violence down and retain law and order. However, the progressives picked up a catchy ideal, blew it out of proportion, made it a NATIONALISTIC cause -- and now will turn it into an anti-US hate campaign. Most expats state it is simply time to let the Koreans shoot themselves in the foot and let the FTA die a natural death in the US Congress -- as an off-shoot of if this turns into a anti-US campaign, there will be a squadron of AH-64Ds and F-16s heading out of county in the blink of an eye. The Koreans have forgotten what George Bush said: the US will remain in Korea as long as the people want us. This might be the last straw.)

The square alongside the Cheonggye Stream that runs through the heart of Seoul has served as the main venue for the candlelight vigils, in a snub to Lee who gained the exposure and platform he needed to become president by revitalizing the scenic stream when he served as mayor of Seoul. Comedian Roh Jeong-ryeol, popular for his political satire, will emcee the night event, while doctors and parents as well as an outspoken farmer-turned lawmaker, Rep. Kang Ki-kab, will make speeches, organizers said.


Kang Ki-gap, DLP Legislator, with protestors (8 May 2008) (Tongil News)

The crowd, however, was expected to mainly consist of young students again, amid fears that school lunch programs will be the main destination of cheap American beef. "When we saw tomorrow's school lunch menu had 'beef stew,' not just me but all the students at my school were shocked. We agreed to not even touch it... Even elementary school children know. Would you please stop this?" said a message by a teenage blogger on a local Internet site, www.michincow.net, opposing the resumption of imports. Seoul agreed with Washington in mid-April to lift almost all restrictions on American beef imports, which were imposed in late 2003 after the first of its three mad cow cases was confirmed in the state of Washington. The agreement, unveiled on the eve of Lee's first summit with U.S. President George W. Bush, was largely considered as Seoul's concession to get a bilateral free trade agreement passed in the U.S. Congress. (Source: Yonhap News.)


Protest with banner of Mad Cow from US at Candlelight Vigil (9 May 2008) (Tongil News)

Teens take to streets as concern over U.S. beef grows (May 2008) Amid fears of mad cow disease, recent candlelight vigils to protest the upcoming U.S. beef imports have shown the rise of a new phenomenon in South Korea: teenagers dominating street rallies. More than half of the participants in recent protests over the beef issue in downtown Seoul were middle and high school students, police say, as teenagers in school uniforms came in groups, waved candles and shared their fears about mad cow disease. In a country accustomed to street protests by workers, farmers, teachers and actors after decades of rallies for democracy, it was new and puzzling for many to see teenagers take to the streets.

"That caught us by surprise," said Lim Byung-gu, a policymaker with the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, a progressive umbrella group of 70,000 teachers nationwide. "Our society has never experienced such a thing, so we are now discussing how we should interpret this. The fear of mad cow disease from American beef is one reason, but not the only one," he said. (SITE NOTE: From reports, this is a lie. Teachers belonging to the radical KTEW in schools have actively encouraged their students to attend the rallies -- and in fact, have excused them from case in order to attend. However, there are reports that some principals blocked the gates to prevent the students from sneaking out.)

After the government unveiled its agreement with Washington to lift almost all quarantine restrictions on U.S. beef imports last month, fears quickly spread that school lunch programs will be the main destination of cheap American beef. As a result of such concern, many students consider the blocking of American beef imports as a life-or-death issue. "I don't want to eat mad cow, I want to live," Kim Min-ju, a 17-year-old high school student, said, joining the latest candlelight vigil with her classmates on Tuesday. "They say Koreans are genetically more prone to mad cow disease than Americans." (SITE NOTE: The claims that the Korean students lack critical thinking skills are exemplified by how they simply accepted all that was said on the internet without investigating the truth.)

Claims of scary consequences reverberated through the Internet, with tech-savvy Koreans posting messages about their fears on portals, Web communities and other sites. Many were exaggerated and unwarranted, like a warning named after a local movie, "noesongsong gumeongtak" (minced brain, cracked hole) about the impact of eating American beef. "My dream is to become a doctor," a blogger who identified herself as Kim Po-young, a senior in middle school, said on the Web site www.michincow.net ("mad cow"). "But are we destined to die? I hope this is not a modern version of the Japanese 'Maruta' that used human beings for experiments. I really want to live. Please tell me when the next rally will be held," she said, referring to a Japanese project that used prisoners as guinea pigs during the first half of the 20th century. Another student said, "My dream is to be a social welfare worker...but the president (Lee Myung-bak) who is infringing upon the people's right to health and driving all the people to death is threatening my dream. Let's expel the president and mad cow from the land of the Republic of Korea!" (SITE NOTE: Though Korean-Americans support consumption of US beef, a group of supposedly "Korean-American housewives" (without identifying themselves or their affilitation) suddenly was being touted by the progressives.)

Text messages urging action followed suit. Almost all middle and high school students in Seoul and its surrounding Gyeonggi Province received text messages saying their schools will be closed on May 17 so they could participate in candlelight vigils. But the messages were not true. The phenomenon of young people leading public protests is not new in Korea, but until now those demonstrators were mostly in their 20s and 30s and considered more progressive than the older generation.

College students in the 1970s through the early 1990s took to the streets for the democracy movement, while the next generation called for better treatment of foreign migrant workers, irregular workers and the disabled. Peaceful candlelight vigils re-emerged in 2002, after a U.S. armored vehicle crushed two middle school girls to death, and helped underdog Roh Moo-hyun win the presidential election that year with a platform of putting Korea's ties with the U.S. to a more equal footing. Education authorities rushed to prevent further disruptions. Prosecutors and police swiftly launched an investigation to track down those who sent the messages from untraceable numbers like "1004," "0000" or "777-7777."

"I think it is a matter of concern for all of us in charge of education that some young students participate in rallies that have become a social issue," Kim Doh-yeon, minister of education, science and technology, said in an emergency meeting with superintendents of schools from around the country on Wednesday. "I believe it is not desirable for students, who are emotionally sensitive, to participate in group actions, driven by flawed logic and wrong information about a social issue," he said.


Kids Protest Mad Cow from US at Candlelight Vigil (10 May 2008) (Tongil News)



Teachers were divided over whether to encourage teen protests. But most agreed the new trend comes from the competitive educational environment in Korea, where after-school classes and night studies are customary methods to increase the chances of acceptance to good universities. "The new generation is demanding democracy, a place through which they can express their voice. And that voice has emerged this time," Lim of the progressive teachers' union said. "They are held in school from morning till night and have no place to communicate except the Internet."

Conservative teachers noted, however, it's too early for teens to take group action. Much of the information they get about mad cow disease is inaccurate, they said. "We are now in a stage where we should think about whether it's educationally appropriate for students to take to the streets en masse to express their opinion," said Kim Dong-seok, spokesman for the center-right Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations. "Children are fairly impulsive, and that can be abused by politically motivated organizations." "They are the visual generation that absorbs more information than grownups through the Internet and that is quicker to react. This kind of group action will be repeated in the future when other issues come up, and we should think about whether that is appropriate," Kim said. (Source: Individual.com.) (SITE NOTE: The scare tactics of the progressives to stir up another anti-American hate-fest has started again. Some of the catchy videos and cartoons are VERY effective. Kungfu Mad Cow vs Korean video clip showed a "mad cow" (US) beating up on a Korean in a kung-fu kicking fest -- hilarious -- and in the end the mad cow is beaten by the Korean. Message is VERY effective -- Koreans must defend their nation against the US. Cartoons of a mad cow feeding children dynamite -- the idea that it will kill them like a ticking time bomb. All of these messages are bombarding the kids on the internet. They are not based on facts but play on emotions. A second message shows "farmers" (or atleast people dressed as farmers) soliciting signatures to impeach Lee Myeong-bak. Suddenly the FTA is tied to the mad cow disease and it is LMB's fault since he allowed this to happen.)


VIDEO: Require Active X. Kungfu Mad Cow versus Korean (Naver.com)

Another attacks LMB with Rock Music!!! Repeated visual images of anti-US Beef -- and LMB giving in to US. Very effect visual presentation. (Source: LMB is Dead Video.) Regardless of what you may think of the content, the makings of talent in manipulating visual images is obvious and the people who created these videos should be respected for their talent. For their part, the LMB generation still haven't figured this out. The progressives are using this effectively and the conservatives still don't have a clue. These techniques were put down by John F. Kennedy in his campaign with Richard Nixon for the Presidency. They still apply today. Visual images are VERY effective in winning the minds -- and ultimately the vision of the youth. The conservatives are relying on "ad agency" style "hip" commercials -- that don't work. The conservatives need to change FAST or else they will have lost this battle.)

Why are Students at Candlelight Vigils? (May 2008) It seems like "the revolt of the teenagers". Teens are gathering in public spaces. Previously unconcerned with political and social issues they are now in an uproar over the importation of American beef. They have circulated petitions on the internet to impeach President Lee Myung-bak and taken the lead in candlelight vigils against the beef importation. Most of the participants in the candlelight vigil held in downtown Daegu on the 3rd were students there of their own volition. There is another planned for the 10th. They are planning it, and freely expressing their opposition. Why are teenagers shouting out "no" to the world? Who is pushing them down this road?

The biggest reason these teens are doing so is that they believe they could be the first "victim" of mad cow disease brought in by imported beef. They look at their poor-quality school lunches and hear rumors that "cheap American beef will go first into school lunches and military rations," and from that their strongly opposed feelings spring. Their recognition of a direct link between the food they eat, American beef, and their own lives creates these group actions. Ahn Mi-hyang, executive director of the "Our World" (????) program at the ?????????, said, "the importation of American beef has been a real stimulus to action for teens who want to live in good health. Because of their low-quality school meals, teens are considerably worried over mad cow disease."


Mad Cow Poster (May 2008)


Mad Cow Banner (May 2008)


Mad Cow Signs (NOTE: Some are questioning where is the money coming from to support all this advertising.) (May 2008)

Teenagers are looking at mad cow disease in horror. They say, "my friends in school and I always talk about mad cow disease." And in various media they are warned about the dangers of mad cow disease, and on the internet they see all kinds of false rumors, and the horror grows and spreads. 18-year old Kim Chae-won stated her opposition. "Even if you don't eat beef you can get mad cow disease so why in the hell are they importing it? What's the meaning of working hard to get into school and graduate and work if you're just going to die in your 20s or 30s?" 19-year old Son, a male high school senior, said, "I can't tell if beef is 30 months old just by my eyes, so I don't see how I can trust it. My parents also tell me never to eat it but what am I going to do when it turns up in my school lunch?"

All kinds of stories are growing and spreading. If you eat beef infected with mad cow disease you die instantly, mad cow disease can be spread by air and water, you can get it from a kiss — every sort of false rumor exists. 18-year old girl Jang Hae-jin said, "I saw on the internet that American beef is being imported to start a controversy that distracts people from the secret building of the grand canal project. I'm scared of being forced to eat American beef in my school lunch." Woo Sang-hui, an 18-year old female student at D high school, worries, "I don't want to die from eating my school lunch. Even if we have these candlelight vigils we can't force the goverment to change, can we?"

Is the American beef issue the reason for calls to impeach President Lee? Experts say that the American beef issue has caused a number of accumulated criticisms of the "pro-unlimited competition" Lee Myung-bak administration to boil over. Various policies and controversies including English immersion education, the O teacher scandal, ?? ???, and school liberalization, have been slaps in the face for teenagers who "want to cry".


Mad Cow Parody (NOTE: Many blame Roh for starting this because of the FTA) (May 2008)


Mad Cow Parody (May 2008)

18-year old Byeon explained her support for impeachment. "There are rumors that President Lee will rescind the 5-day week and abolish college testing recruitment. It seemed to me that group action is good so I thought if I had time I would go to a candlelight vigil." Criticism of the Lee administration is spreads among students through text messages and the internet. Students receive from 1 to over 10 messages. Organizations which host the vigils, including Anti-MB (??MB), Our Korea (????????), and Crazy Cow Dot Net (?????), ask them to join the vigils.

Teenagers focus on the social issues they learn about in school as well as hairstyle freedom. Lee Yeong-tae, a 19-year old in his final year of high school, said, "I study social issues in school so when the mad cow disease issue came up it was easy for me understand the problem. My parents told me I was definitely not allowed to go to the vigil but I think if they saw objective and fair information they would change their minds."

The character of these vigils is different from those in the past. Almost all of today's teens were born after 1990. They have no memory of the culture of the June 1987 uprising. Their archetypes instead are the cheering in the streets during the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup and the candlelight vigils after the deaths of Hyo-sun and Mi-seon. Because of this they see little reason to be opposed to attending the vigils and think of them as positive. Accordingly, the recent string of candlelight vigils has not seen strident political demogagy, and has been accompanied by various kinds of parody and satire.

The sight of popular celebrities raising their voices in protest also seems to have an effect on the teens. At "Cassopeia", the home page of Dongbangshingi, a message was put up saying, "let's gather 800,000 people to show the power of our Dongbangshingi against mad cow disease," asking for fans to attend a candlelight vigil. The fan clubs of Super Junior, SS51, and Shinhwa have also asked fans to put up "mad cow disease UCC" — user-created content.

Additionally, as there is no device which can show the collective intent of teenagers, the adult generation is creating their discontent so without any solution or alternative plan being presented they are working together in anger as brothers and sisters. Kim Gyu-won, professor of sociology at Kyungpook National University, offered his analysis. "Teens are making public their thoughts on problems related to them. It isn't simply about mad cow disease, but also their unhappiness with various social realities, politics and the media, and they feel that there is a possibility for social change right now."

There are conflicting opinions about teenagers. The government and certain political organizations see no benefit in teen activism. From their perspective they see that the teens attending candlelight vigils are being systematically influenced by hidden actors, andon the internet there is some wrong, agitatative information. Police and prosecutors have opened investigationgs into who is behind the cellphone text messages, and educational authorities say they will stop middle and high school students from attending the demonstrations. On the 7th Gong Jeong-taek, superintendant of educatyion in Seoul, strongly criticized the candlelight vigils against American beef, saying that, "hidden forces are quietly getting students to attend them."

But many teen and experts say of this perspective that, "it's hard to agree". 17-year old Lee, who attended a candlelight vigil, said, "some things that people say are exaggerated, but anyway, it's still true that there is a danger of mad cow disease. Teenagers aren't idiots that are just being manipulated by other people." Ahn Mi-yeong, executive director of Our World, said, "no matter who strongly kids are stirred up by someone, if they can't understand what it's about then they won't do anything. Without a way to understand it kids will just see it as a special case and look at it objectively." There is also the opinion that active participation in this kind of social action will help bring teens to a new level of social engagement. In current education, they can become conscious of the importance of active engagement with social issues directly related to skin. But there is also the worry that there will be negative side effects from frequent expressions of their opinions. If they see effects from expressing their opinions they may start to try doing so on other issues, and start expressing individualist complaints. Professor Kim said, "social activism should be conducted simultaneously with inner self-reflection, but it is not a good idea to just superficially criticize the press and so on and get into blindly following things." (Source: Translation by Korea Beat of Maeil Shimbun.)

Why University Students Are Missing From the Protests (May 2008) During the era of democracy protests in the 1980s, scenes of university students clashing with riot police on the main streets of Seoul were part of everyday life. And in 2002, rallies condemning U.S. forces in Korea for the death of two schoolgirls who were killed by a U.S armored vehicle were also led by students. But in recent candlelight rallies against the agreement on the liberalization of U.S. beef imports, university students have been conspicuous by their absence. What is going on?

On May 7, college student bodies did officially voice opposition to renewed beef imports at a press conference, their first reaction since the government made the decision and many Koreans started taking to the streets. Held at Yonsei University, the event drew only 16 students, including nine participants and organizers. Other students passed by and just looked in without stopping to watch. Analysts attribute college students' indifference to their antipathy to ideological issues. A Sungkyunkwan University student said, "I went to a candlelight vigil protesting U.S. beef imports near the Cheonggye Stream on May 2. But then I thought the protest took on political features and decided not to take part any more."

College students also tend to base their opinions on issues like the threat of mad cow disease to some degree on accurate information and are more rational than the middle and high school students who were easily swayed by groundless rumors about the dangers of U.S. beef. Mad cow disease-related theses are posted on the homepages of universities, inviting college students to debates on the issue.

In addition, college students tend to be so preoccupied with getting a job after graduation that they have no time for politics and protests. The recent rallies, moreover, took place when college students were busy taking mid-term exams and could not afford to pay attention to social issues. A Seoul National University student said, "We experienced the 1998 financial crisis in our teens. In our 20s, we must try to survive stiff competition to land a job after graduation. In the past, college students used to voice opinions about social and political issues and form a movement. But for us, building career is more important than anything else. We don't have time to spend on protests."

However, college students are interested in the safety of food they eat. Recently, universities have had a headache since many students asked them not to use U.S. beef for meals served at school cafeterias, forcing them to put up notices saying they use only Australian or domestic beef. A Yonsei University student said, "I just want to stay away from a politically-tainted dispute. I am genuinely interested in issues related to my health and safety." (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)

Teachers aim to persuade students to leave beef protest (May 2008) Nearly 1,000 South Korean teachers were to gather in central Seoul on 17 May in an attempt to convince students to leave a scheduled rally against Seoul's agreement with Washington to reopen the country's market to U.S. beef. The move comes as several thousand South Koreans were expected to hold a candlelight vigil in the capital, brushing off a police warning that such protests are illegal. Thousands of teenagers have been joining the rallies which began about two weeks ago, sparking concerns from parents and teachers who claim the media and political opponents of the beef deal are the main force behind the youth backlash.

"About 1,000 teachers in Seoul will attend the protest to send students home," the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said in a press release. "Parents and teachers are not only concerned about the students' safety, but also about the fact that they are focusing on political events when they should be focusing on school work." (SITE NOTE: These teachers must be from the conservative union that was recently formed who are opposed to a lot of what the progressive KTEW teachers are espousing.)

Following an April 18 agreement with Washington, imports of U.S. beef from cattle younger than 30 months old will soon resume for the first time in almost five years. If the U.S. implements tougher animal feed regulations, the age limit will eventually be removed altogether, a possibility that has aroused local anxiety over mad cow disease. The South Korean government has said it will delay the local resumption of U.S. beef imports -- originally slated for May 15 -- by up to 10 days, but ruled out the possibility of renegotiating with Washington, citing international practices and faith between the two countries. U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez urged quick implementation of the beef agreement during a press conference in Seoul Friday, emphasizing the safety of American beef.

Teenagers have been escalating objections to the U.S. beef imports, posting their criticism of the Lee Myung-bak government and expressing their resolve on Internet sites. Students claim their move is voluntary, genuinely reflecting their mood and fear over the safety of U.S. beef. "I participated in the protests simply because I don't want to die of mad cow disease," an Internet user who claimed to be a high school student said in a message posted on naver.com, South Korea's largest portal site. "It is hilarious that the government suspects that a political force is behind our action. We are not that dumb." (SITE NOTE: It is sad that a student who claims he is not being manipulated by politicians and "not that dumb" cannot see how dumb he really is. When politicians show up at candlelight vigils it is a political rally. How sad as a representative of Korean youth.)

The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, a progressive group of local teachers, criticized the government for raising questions about the students' "pure action," adding that teachers should not use coercive measures upon students. "Students have as much right as any adult to voice their opinion against the beef issue," said an unnamed official of the union.

Disputes over the student protests have also been escalating following a recent police investigation of a high school student. Last week, a policeman in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, took a high school student out of class and questioned him, threatening to punish him unless he revealed who was behind a protest held in the region a few days earlier. The student allegedly arranged for students to participate in the rally. Facing immense criticism from civic groups, the Jeonju police station said on 17 May it will question and demote the policeman soon. (SITE NOTE: We disagree as the Police have already stated the candlelight vigils were illegal and that it could not interfere in the rallys and only punish its organizers. The police officer was only following the police instructions on the handling of candlelight vigils. However, the motives of the progressive "civic groups" should be questioned -- as they are the ones the police are searching to punish for organizing the rallies.)

Under the April agreement with Washington, Seoul can only suspend imports if the World Organization for Animal Health downgrades the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) classification of the U.S. following an outbreak of the disease. The U.S. is currently classified as a BSE risk-controlled country. The South Korean government said it will ban imports of specified risk materials (SRMs) -- which are categorized as being most likely to be infected by mad cow disease -- if they do not carry a label that proves the animal was under 30 months old when butchered. SRMs consist of brains, eyes, spinal cords, and other organs. But enforcing the measure requires agreement from Washington as U.S. exporters are currently only required to specify the animal's age for backbone cuts. (Source: Yonhap News.)


Kids on way to Candlelight Vigil -- Hanbok over jeans and costumes. Notice the sign "2MB Fuck Off" (2MB=Lee Myeong-bak) (17 May 2008) (Tongil News)


Packed Crowd (17 May 2008) (Tongil News) (SITE NOTE: On 18 May (Sunday) it was a washout as it rained. Koreans are "fair weather" protestors. Clear and hot are ideal conditions. A few protests were held throughout Korea, but only to small groups in raincoats. But then it was only partly cloudy for the rest of the week and thousands of people held candlelight vigils in Seoul on 22 May to voice opposition to the government's decision to lift a ban on imports of U.S. beef, undeterred by President Lee Myung-bak's apology for triggering public concerns over mad cow disease. On 25 May again thousands gathered in a combined showing that was anti-FTA, anti-LMB and anti-US beef. From photos, it was interesting that the age group of the protestors was rising. Also the tendency for being more forceful with the police was seen -- and so much for a peaceful demonstration.)

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Police Ban Rally -- Then Relents

Police ban Candlelight Rally -- Then Relent (May 2008) Apparently alarmed by spreading public protests over a government decision to resume U.S. beef imports virtually without any restrictions, police said on 4 May that they will outlaw any further outdoor protests to be held after the sunset. Up to 10,000 people gathered in the center of Seoul on 2 May and 3 May for candlelight vigils against their government decision in April to fully open its market to U.S. beef.

However, on 6 May it was announced that candlelight vigils, defined as illegal by the police, are scheduled to be held this evening in two venues downtown Seoul following the weekend, in opposition to the resumption of U.S. beef imports. Since the events were registered as cultural ones, the police decided to allow them. However, it made clear that it will issue warnings and prosecute organizers afterwards if the events evolve into political gatherings with agitating slogans. However, the police seem to be troubled by the fact that there is no specific countermeasure for such incidents.

(SITE NOTE: In other words, if the organizers flaunt turn the vigil into a political forum the police cannot disperse the crowd -- only take pictures of organizers for later prosecution -- if at all. How about not issuing INDIVIDUALS OR ORGANIZATIONS licenses if they have disregarded the police ban? There are about 1,000 organizations including the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement. If they violate the ban, ban them all from licenses NATIONWIDE!!!)

In response, a group of unidentified (no name, no address) "Korean-American housewives" wrote to a popular TV show on 6 May that they did NOT support the view that the US beef was safe. However, immediately these comments were brought into doubt because no one can verify who they are.

In a press conference, four Korean-American organizations in the Washington, D.C. area, including the Korean Society of Maryland and the Korean American Association of Washington Metropolitan Area, said rumors about mad cow disease are either unfounded or exaggerated. "Some anti-American people and those with insidious political purposes are misleading the public that the U.S. is exporting low-quality food which Americans don't eat," they said. This was "a shameless act by those who care only about their own beliefs or interests."

In a similar press conference, Los Angeles groups such as the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles, the Korean Restaurants Association, and the Korean American Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles urged South Koreans to remain cool-headed. "There is no 100 percent safe food in the world. But American beef is more thoroughly managed than anywhere else," they claimed. KACCLA president Lee Chang-yup said, "I'm not going to speak for the U.S., but I'd like to say that you don't have to worry much about" American beef "because we trust the American public health system."

Kang Nam-jung, the owner of a restaurant in Fairfax County, Virginia said, "I've been operating a restaurant and catering business in the U.S. for 26 years. I'm concerned about increasing beef prices in the wake of the U.S. decision to export beef to Korea. Frankly, prices will be stabilized and my business will perform fine if American beef is not exported. I can't understand what's happening in Korea now."

Kim Won-ho, the owner of Warner Meat, a large-scale meat wholesaler equipped with its own slaughter facilities in New York, said, "It's wrong to say that the U.S. will export beef that is different from that intended for domestic consumption to Korea. The U.S. also imports beef to make up for its supply shortage. But it is enthusiastic about exporting the meat considering that each importing country has its own preference for beef parts. Be it for domestic consumption or for export, beef is cut from cattle after undergoing identical slaughter processes."

Some Korean-Americans were aggrieved at a tendency in Korea to view American beef as the carrier of mad cow disease. A Korean customer at a restaurant in Annandale, Virginia frequented by many Korean Americans said, "Does it make sense that the same beef we eat here is regarded by Koreans as the carrier of mad cow disease?" An employee of the restaurant said, "We've cooked here with beef certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 15 years, but we've never worried about mad cow disease." (Source: Chosun Ilbo.) (SITE NOTE: The Koreans retort that the Americans are NOT eating the same beef. They claim that the Americans are eating beef UNDER 30-months of age which are less susceptible to mad-cow disease, but the US wants to ship beef OVER 30-months of age which is more susceptible to Korea. How can one counter insanity?)

Koreans Have Beef With Korean Americans (May 2008) On 12 May, the New America Media reported that Korean American community organizations across the United States held meetings to rebut the South Koreans' protests over the safety of U.S. beef and to clarify misunderstandings. At a press conference in Los Angeles, the immigrant community leaders tried to assure South Korean journalists that U.S. beef is one of the safest in the world and that the spreading rumors in Korea about the dangers of mad cow disease from U.S. beef was baseless scaremongering.

"Korean Americans, who share the same blood with the motherland's people, consume everyday the beef from the cattle raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States. In 105 years of Korean American immigration history, there has been not a single incident where a Korean American died of mad cow disease," noted Yong Tae Lee, a medical doctor.

When the media in South Korea reported the immigrant response, there was a backlash against Korean Americans from the homeland. It's similar to American Jews being attacked for criticizing Israel's Palestinian policy. Proving its position as the most wired country in the world, Korean cyberspace has crackled with South Koreans' disappointment towards the immigrants. They accuse Korean Americans for not standing up for Korea, or worse – of being a lapdog of the American government. One reader of JoongAng Ilbo, a major daily newspaper in South Korea, wrote in the comment section, "Korean Americans are those who would aim guns at us if Korea goes to war against the United States."

Few critics approached their targets directly. "Few strangers who recognized me in the streets after watching a TV interview expressed their anger," said Moon Ki Nam, president of Los Angeles Korean American Federation, who spoke boldly about the Korean Americans' belief in the safety of U.S. beef. In numerous interviews with South Korean media, he tried to persuade Korea's public opinion. "Some Koreans are demanding a blind loyalty from Korean Americans," said Nam, who is visiting the country on a business trip.

Despite these efforts, public demonstrations continue and the chasm between the Korean American community and their motherland deepens. On the L.A. Korean American Federation's website, dozens of South Koreans have posted writings denouncing Korean Americans. According to Kye Young Park, an anthropology professor at Univ. of California, Los Angeles labeling Korean Americans as inconsiderate of the motherland's interest is an act of misunderstanding of the fluid dynamics of the immigrant community. "Although Korean Americans have largely aligned with culture and overall opinions of Korea, I suspect, their positions in regard to interests of the adopted country, and the country of origin, are not rigid," said Park. (Source: New America Media.)

U.S. Beef Imports Fuel Online Scaremongering (May 2008) The impending resumption of imports of U.S. beef has spawned a proliferation of rumors on the Internet about the perils of mad cow disease, amplifying confusion and fears among consumers. This was not helped by the airing of an edition of "PD Diary", the famous MBC current affairs program, on Tuesday, which claimed that 94 percent of Koreans have genes that make them more susceptible than Americans or Britons to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), which is the human variant of mad cow disease, and this physical trait makes Koreans two to three times more likely than Americans or Britons to contract the disease. A tepid and delayed response from the government is only fueling fears. The personal blog of President Lee Myung-bak, who promised that resuming import of U.S. beef will bring high-quality and low-priced beef to the table, has been virtually shut down by Internet users who bombarded it with messages protesting against the decision.

Even madly unscientific rumors like, "Jelly, cookies, a broiled dish of sliced rice pasta and pizza will cause mad cow disease," or, "Cosmetic products, sanitary napkins, and diapers are also risky because parts of cattle are used in production," exhorting consumers to hoard such items before the imports, are spreading on the Internet.

Regarding the genetic vulnerability of Koreans, for instance, an official at the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said this is completely unfounded. Some radical critics of the import of U.S. beef are taking this issue politically further still, organizing an online petition to impeach the president. As of 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, 418,000 people have signed the petition on Daum, one of the largest Internet portal sites in Korea. The drive aims at 10 million signatures. A government official said the situation is baffling because the movement is beginning to take on an anti-American hue, just like the 2002 death of two schoolgirls under the wheels of a U.S. armored vehicle led to an anti-American wave swept the entire country. (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)

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US Mad Cow disease a time-bomb for children (May 2008)

The Beef Controversy - Fact and Fiction (May 2008) Calls for the renegotiation of a beef import deal with the U.S. and even impeachment of President Lee Myung-bak over an unfounded mad cow disease scare are getting louder. One senior government official said the debate over safety of American beef has become a political issue for "blind opposition to the Lee administration on the strength of an anti-American trend." (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)

So far, the only known cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or Mad Cow Disease, occurred with cattle that were older than 30 months. Less than 1 percent of cattle slaughtered in the U.S. is older than 30 months, and 97 percent is younger than 20 months. Among the cattle older than 30 months, there is about 1 in a million chance that it has BSE. Then the infected SRM has to mix in with non-SRM parts, and then has to be eaten. After all this, the estimated chance of infection through these rules is about one in one billion.

Then there is all the hocus-pocus over the variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) with SIMILAR symptoms to BSE. According to the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 75 people in Korea from 2001 through Sept 2007 who were suspected of having the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Korea has had cases of CJD, which is caused by gene mutation, but not a case of variant CJD (vCJD) yet. With vCJD, brains develop holes like sponges have. "People infected with vCJD have similar symptoms to that of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the so-called mad cow disease."

The focus is on the US as though there were Americans dying from vCJD. However, the fact is that there were only three reported cases of vCJD in the U.S., and as it turns out, all three of them immigrated to the U.S. only several years before being diagnosed with the disease. (Two from Britain, one from Saudi Arabia.) In other words, given that latency of vCJD is over 10 years, it is not American beef that killed them.

USDA BACKGROUND: On January 12, 2004, FSIS issued a series of three interim final rules to minimize human exposure to materials that scientific studies have demonstrated have the potential to contain the BSE agent in cattle infected with that disease. Scientific and epidemiological studies have linked the human disease variant Cruetzfelt-Jacob Disease (vCJD) to exposure to BSE, most likely through human consumption of beef products contaminated with the BSE agent. FSIS issued the rules in response to the diagnosis on December 23, 2003, of BSE in an imported dairy cow in Washington State. The animal had been imported from Canada.

One of the rules, ``Prohibition of the Use of Specified Risk Materials for Human Food and Requirements for the Disposition of Non- ambulatory Disabled Cattle'' (69 FR 1862, January 12, 2004) (also referred to as ``the SRM interim final rule''), designates certain materials from cattle as specified risk materials (SRMs), declares that SRMs are inedible, and prohibits the use of these materials for human food (9 CFR 310.22(a) and 9 CFR 310.22(b)). The SRM interim final rule also requires that establishments that slaughter cattle, and establishments that process the carcasses or parts of cattle, develop, implement, and maintain written procedures for the removal, segregation, and disposition of SRMs and incorporate these procedures into their HACCP plans or Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) or other prerequisite programs (9 CFR 310.22(d)).

The materials identified as SRMs in the FSIS SRM interim final rule are the brain, skull, eyes, trigeminal ganglia, spinal cord, vertebral column (excluding the vertebrae of the tail, the transverse processes of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and the wings of the sacrum), and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) from cattle 30 months of age and older, and the distal ileum of the small intestine and tonsils from all cattle (9 CFR 310.22(a)). The SRM interim final rule declares that SRMs are inedible because they present a sufficient risk of exposing humans to the BSE agent so as to render them ``unfit for human food'' within the meaning of section 1(m)(3) of the adulteration provisions of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) (21 U.S.C. 601(m)(3)).) (SITE NOTE: The spinal column is sawed away during the processing of the meat. It is disposed of and is not used in any animal feed as it is designated at SRM material).

The SRM interim final rule designates the distal ileum from all cattle as an SRM because BSE infectivity has been confirmed in the distal ileum in the early stages of the disease. To ensure effective removal of the distal ileum, the SRM interim final rule originally required that the entire small intestine be removed and disposed of as inedible. However, in the preamble to the SRM interim final rule, FSIS noted that beef processors may be able to effectively remove the distal ileum from the rest of the small intestine and requested comments on this issue (69 FR 1862, 1869). The Agency again requested comments on this issue in an advance notice of proposed rulemaking published in July 2004 (``Federal Measures To Mitigate BSE Risks: Considerations for Further Action'' (69 FR 42287, 42296)).

In response to these requests, FSIS received several comments that described detailed procedures on how to remove the distal ileum from the small intestine. On the basis of these comments, FSIS evaluated this issue and determined that processors have the technology to effectively remove the distal ileum from the rest of the small intestine. Therefore, on September 7, 2005, FSIS issued an amendment to the SRM interim final rule to permit, under specific conditions, the use of beef small intestine, excluding the distal ileum, for human food (70 FR 53043).

In addition to prohibiting SRMs for use as human food, the SRM interim final rule also prohibits the slaughter for human food of non- ambulatory disabled cattle that are offered for slaughter. FSIS prohibited the slaughter of these non-ambulatory disabled cattle because surveillance data from European countries in which BSE has been detected indicate that non-ambulatory cattle are among the cattle that have a greater incidence of BSE than healthy slaughter cattle. Furthermore, because the typical clinical signs of BSE often cannot be distinguished from the typical clinical signs of other diseases and conditions that affect non-ambulatory cattle, FSIS determined that non- ambulatory disabled cattle present a sufficient risk of introducing the BSE agent into the human food supply so as to render the carcasses of these animals unfit for human food under section 1(m)(3) of the FMIA. The SRM interim final rule requires that all non-ambulatory disabled cattle that are offered for slaughter be condemned (9 CFR 309.3(e)). (SITE NOTE: The FDA amended this to one where non-ambulatory animals were still not fit for human consumption, but an on-the-spot inspection by a certified inspector could make a determination if the animal could be used for animal feed. In its final ruling in Jul 2007, the FDA clarified that an animal that "all non- ambulatory disabled cattle that are offered for slaughter be condemned, it also clarifies that FSIS inspection personnel will determine the disposition of cattle that become non-ambulatory after they have passed ante-mortem inspection on a case-by-case basis (9 CFR 309.3(e)). This is because a non-ambulatory animal may be due to injury -- and not disease. However, this became a bone of contention with the Koreans over possible contamination of the imported animal feed.)

In addition to the SRM interim final rule, FSIS published two other interim final rules in response to the confirmation of BSE in the cow in Washington State. One of the rules, Prohibition of the Use of Certain Stunning Devices Used to Immobilize Cattle During Slaughter (69 FR 1885) (also referred to as ``the air-injection stunning interim final rule''), prohibits the use of captive bolt stunning devices that deliberately inject air into the cranial cavity of cattle. The other rule, ``Meat Produced by Advanced Meat/Bone Separation Machinery and Meat Recovery (AMR) Systems'' (69 FR 1874) (also referred to as ``the AMR interim final rule''), establishes requirements for meat produced using AMR systems. In this document, FSIS is affirming [[Page 38701]] without amendment the air-injection stunning interim final rule. Because the AMR interim final rule contains several non-BSE related provisions, FSIS intends to affirm and, if necessary, amend that interim final rule in a separate document that will be published in the Federal Register at a later date.

Since FSIS issued the SRM, AMR, and air-injection stunning interim final rules, the Agency has implemented a number of programs to train its inspection personnel and help plants comply with new requirements. FSIS has issued several notices to its inspection personnel that detail specific aspects of the regulations, including BSE surveillance activities in cooperation with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). In 2004, FSIS held five teaching workshops around the country to help primarily small and very small plants understand the regulations and help ensure compliance. As part of a continuing outreach effort to small and very small plants, FSIS produced workshop training materials, which remain available on the FSIS Web site. Additionally, FSIS developed a training CD and accompanying materials called ``The ABC's of BSE,'' which were released as part of FSIS' distance learning program.

FSIS is confident it is successfully carrying out its mission to protect public health by strictly enforcing safeguards designed to protect Americans from BSE. FSIS will continuously evaluate its policies and procedures to ensure that they remain based on the most up-to-date science available. Since FSIS issued the interim final rules described above, two native cases of BSE have been confirmed in the United States. In June 2005, the disease was confirmed in a 12 year-old cow born and raised on a ranch in Texas. In March 2006, a second case was confirmed in a cow on a farm in Alabama. Experts confirmed through dentition that this animal was at least 10 years old. Both animals were born before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its 1997 prohibition on the feeding of most mammalian protein to ruminants. (Source: FDA, Jul 2007.)

• THE LIE: Many blame Lee Myeong-bak for endangering the health of Koreans because he signed the agreement with President Bush allowing the import of beef -- as a prerequisite to the FTA having a chance of passage in the US Congress. Many blame Roh Moo-hyun because he started the FTA process that buckled under to the US demands to open the agricultural markets. All kinds of myths involving former President Roh Moo-hyun are floating around on the Internet. They all claim that Roh had predicted the import of "U.S. beef infected with mad cow disease."
  
  THE FACT: Ambassador Vershbow on 19 May apportioned some blame to former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, who he claimed broke his earlier promise on American beef imports, joining a political controversy here. During his 90-minute lecture at Sungshin Women's University, the U.S. ambassador said Roh broke his promise on importing U.S. beef. Roh pledged to reopen the beef market "on the basis of the scientific guidelines of the World Organization for Animal Health or the OIE," Vershbow said. He stressed again that the OIE certified a year ago that there is no risk of mad cow disease in US beef. "Unfortunately after his party was defeated in the December presidential election, President Roh decided not to fulfill his promise and follow the science," Vershbow said. (Source: Yonhap News.)
  
  Though Roh Moo-hyun started this mess by pushing the FTA as his legacy, the Lee administration is not without fault in this mess. The problem was the lack of efforts on Lee's part to communicate with his own people. His negotiating team left an impression among many Koreans that the issue of the safety of the product was not properly addressed although U.S. had a record of an outbreak of mad cow disease in 2003. One Korean official says the probability of a human being catching a mad cow disease by eating U.S. beef is like the one of a golf player scoring a hole-in-one and then being killed by lightning. (Source: Eye on Asia.)
  
  The key point of the political offensives is that the Lee administration should take responsibility, including calls for Lee's impeachment. However, it was the Roh Moo-hyun administration that agreed to upgrade biosafety levels only if the OIE designates the U.S. as a controlled BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) risk country.
  
  The controversy over American beef imports began when former president Roh talked with U.S. President George W. Bush in April last year, before the two countries concluded their free trade agreement. Roh then promised to go into bilateral talks over the opening of the beef market with the intention of opening it at a rational level in accordance with OIE (World organization for animal health) recommendations and then complete the process in a sensible period. One presidential official said, "The current administration is just taking care of what the Roh administration didn't finish after it reached agreement with the U.S."
  
  

  (SITE NOTE: Roh did NOT predict "US beef infected with mad cow disease." In reality, Roh said exactly the opposite. While he was still in office, he said during an agricultural forum in Seoul on March 21, 2007 that Korea was already importing Australian beef, while Canadian beef was being imported too, regardless of whether a free trade deal had been signed or not. He added that progressive Korean politicians were being dishonest if they ignored this reality and protested the Korea-U.S. FTA, claiming the deal would open the gates to importing beef from cattle with BSE. Roh said he wanted to tell such politicians to stop being dishonest. (Source: Chosun Ilbo.))

• THE LIE: Renegotiation can be forced upon the US. Advocates of renegotiation with the U.S. are calling for a ban on imports of beef from cattle older than 30 months -- supposedly more susceptible to Mad Cow disease. The progressives have convinced their supporters that the agreement can be abrogated by public pressure being applied to the Lee Myeong-bak administration. The progressives also want to push legislation to enact a law to force the administration to renegotiate the agreement.
  
  THE FACT: Though Korean interest groups' tendency to take to the streets to push for their demands, it is after-the-fact as the agreement has been signed. This demand runs counter to OIE guidelines -- which the ROK insisted be applied prior to opening the market. The US position is that meat over 30 months old is safe -- as backed by the OIE rating.
  
  A government official said, "The demand for renegotiation is only aimed at shaking Korea-U.S. relations or putting pressure on the current government. It has no scientific justification." Japan and Taiwan are also conducting beef talks with the U.S. If either country reaches agreement with the U.S. on tougher import standards than Korea did, the government is willing to hold follow-up talks with the U.S. to upgrade its import standards to that level.
  
  

  (SITE NOTE: Korean legal basis is the Import Ban on Areas for Designated Quarantine Animals enacted on 03/05/2004 (MoAF notice 2004-23) and has been several times amended, latest 20/05/2005 (MoAF notice 2005-36). At present a further alteration has been notified to WTO (G/SPS/N/KOR/187) NVRQS Public notice No. 2005-62. Countries banned all countries except Australia and New Zealand until the US agreement to allow imports because of the OIE risk assessment in May 2007 as a controlled risk country for BSE. This status confirmed that U.S. BSE regulatory controls were effective and that U.S. beef and beef products of all ages can be safely traded. (Prior to 2003, the US exported only 20-month old beef to Korea, but the OIE ruling opens the export of beef over 30-months old.)
  
  The OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code (the Code) contains standards, guidelines and recommendations to be used by national veterinary authorities to prevent the introduction of infectious agents pathogenic for animals and humans into the importing country during trade of animals and animal products, while avoiding unjustified sanitary barriers.The OIE has drawn up recommendations under which trade should continue based on countries? BSE risk categorisation. In Article 2.3.13 of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code-2003 is stated that de-boned fresh meat and meat products from cattle can be exported from BSE affected countries following compliance with certain certification requirements. (Source: Barriers Details.)
  
  The United Democratic Party has announced it wants to enact a special law that would nullify Korea's beef accord with the United States if Seoul does not renegotiate with Washington. The UDP says the move is prompted by the threat of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human variant of mad cow disease. THIS IS POLITICAL CLAPTRAP AIMED AT DEFEATING THE FTA. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PROTECTING PEOPLE'S HEALTH!!!
  
  If Korea's National Assembly ratifies the special law, the UDP must consider what impact the move would have on the country's image overseas. Right now, 96 countries around the world import and consume American beef without restrictions. Japan currently limits U.S. beef imports to meat obtained from cattle aged 20 months old or younger, which is thought to pose less of a risk of BSE.
  
  But the United States is demanding Japan remove the condition. International standards consider meat from cattle aged under 30 months old as safe. Seoul will first allow imports of American beef from cattle younger than 30 months, including cuts with bones. Beef from older cattle will also be cleared for import after the U.S. strengthens controls on feed to reduce chances of infection, the ministry said.
  
  South Korea was the third-largest foreign market for U.S. beef, after Japan and Mexico, when it shut its doors to U.S. meat in December 2003, after the first reported U.S. case of BSE.

  A senior government official indicated on 5 Jun that the government would NOT ask the United States to renegotiate the import deal. Reworking the April accord would violate rules of the World Trade Organization on global trade and hurt the country's international credibility, he told reporters. ``We must abide by WTO's trade regulations in deciding whether to import U.S. beef. Renegotiation is not in line with globally accepted norms on trade agreements between countries,'' the official said on condition of anonymity. (Source: Korea Times.)
  
  THE GOVERNMENT HAS KNOWN THIS ALL ALONG THAT THIS DEAL CANNOT BE BLOCKED... AND THE PROGRESSIVES HAVE TOO. On 24 May the progressives realized that the government could not renegotiate, but they could achieve their goal of killing the ROKUS FTA by attempting to block the beef deal. This is the reason the progressives switched their strategy on 24 May forcing the "teeny-bopper" protests out and taking over with adult progressives and radicals (Hanchongryeon). The reprecussions of a blocked beef deal is far-reaching dealing with the loss of trust in Korea during negotiations internationally; the loss in American military support of Korea -- dealing with the hand-in-hand deal to the freeze military troop withdrawals; and politically ruinous for international support for the FTA approval.
  
  All of the actions by the progressives to block the beef deal is simply aimed at killing the FTA. The progressive lawyers filing of a petition on 5 Jun with the Constitutional Court is all for show. Legal experts do not give it any chance of being upheld. It is all eye-wash as the ONLINE petition seeks to nullify the April 18 beef import deal Korea. According to the Lawyers for a Democratic Society, 103,700 people visited its web site in five days to add their names to the petition. The bottomline is that it has no legal weight and only good for publicity.
  
  As a sign of the real intent of the beef protests is that the protest is shifted from an initial focus on public health to broader anti-U.S. and anti-Lee Myung-bak sentiments. This is the progressive contrived intent. The unrealistic demand for a negotiation that is impossible to implement is just a tactic to stir things up because the progressives as of 24 May realized this -- but still continued to press their demands for a renegotiation, while increasing the intensity of the protests using its radical elements.
  
  
• THE LIE: 94 percent of Koreans have genes that make them more susceptible than Americans or Britons to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), which is the human variant of mad cow disease, and this physical trait makes Koreans two to three times more likely than Americans or Britons to contract the disease.
  
  THE FACT: A edition of "PD Diary", the famous MBC current affairs program which claimed that Koreans were more susceptible due to a defective gene created widespread fear. Authorities stated that the thesis on the defective gene was being misinterpreted. The professor who wrote the thesis said he feared that his thesis had been "intentionally misinterpreted to produce an opposite result." In fact, his findings are with respect to a different form of the disease and NOT dealing with the BSE form called "mad cow disease."
  
  Thus the PD Diary made it sound like there was only one form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD). The atypical BSE known as "mad cow" is only one of a group. BSE is the bovine form of a group of uniformly fatal neurological diseases known as TSEs (Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies). BSE appears to be spread in part through feeding of infected material to cattle. At this time, the causative agent is unknown and there is no test for the presence of the agent in animal derived products. There appears to be a link between the bovine TSE, BSE, and a human form of TSE known as vCJD (new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease).
  
  

  (SITE NOTE: The Lee Myeong-bak administration is investigating suing the MBC "PD Diary" for issuing the irresponsible report that created this hysteria. The rumors that consuming American beef causes Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease or that Americans do not consume U.S. beef have either been fabricated or exaggerated beyond belief. We still see false information floating around on the Internet, such as the incorrect notion that Americans consume beef only from cattle less than 20 months old, while meat from cattle older than 30 months is exported to Korea. It is all false. There has not been a single case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in 300 million Americans who have been consuming the same beef that is being exported to Korea. And not a single Korean-American who has been consuming food made from bones and intestines from American cattle has contracted Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
  
  Television, which played a huge role in spreading mad cow fears, rarely comes out with such clear and fundamental facts. In the midst of all of this, celebrities who command a tremendous following among teenagers have come out seeking to act as the heroes, while dangerous rumors, including one that a person in Ulsan died of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, have begun to spread. (Source: Chosun Ilbo.))

  Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), a progressive and fatal neuro-degenerative disorder in humans, was first diagnosed in the United Kingdom in 1996. It is now accepted that vCJD can develop as a result of ingestion of food containing a transmissible agent that causes Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). BSE, commonly known as ' mad cow disease', is a chronic degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of cattle. This risk assessment analyses the available data to estimate the risk of Australians developing vCJD from exposure to food containing the BSE agent.
  
  There have been approximately 131 cases of vCJD diagnosed worldwide to date, a very small number relative to the large number of people likely to have been exposed to the BSE agent in food. Although the number of cases is relatively small, the uncertainties about the incubation period between exposure to the BSE agent and the subsequent development of vCJD, as well as significant gaps in knowledge about the BSE agent, its characteristics and the transmission factors, dictate a conservative approach to the assessment of the potential health risk.
  
  Transmission of the BSE agent to humans appears to be dependent on a number of factors. They include the likelihood of an animal with BSE entering the food chain, the part and amount of the animal carcase consumed and the infectivity of the tissues. The central nervous system of clinically affected cattle contains most of the infectious agent.
  
  Experimental studies indicate that a single exposure to contaminated feed is sufficient to cause BSE in cattle; however it is not known the extent or frequency of exposure to the BSE agent in food that is required to result in vCJD in humans. Current scientific evidence indicates the BSE agent is extremely resistant to physical and chemical treatments that are normally used to inactivate proteins and micro-organisms. The thermal conditions used in processing of beef products such as canned meat and smallgoods will not inactivate the BSE agent. However, at least one manufacturing process, the sodium hydroxide treatment in gelatine production, can inactivate BSE agent infectivity.
  
  Contamination of uninfected meat by an infected carcase is possible in abattoirs and must be considered in estimating risk. Contamination can occur even when extensive control measures have been implemented to reduce cross-contamination.
  
  Not all beef products pose the same risk of transmitting the BSE agent to humans, because some products appear to contain more of the agent than others. Some products, such as the brain, can contain the agent in very high concentrations. Animal products that were identified in the risk assessment as containing significant amounts of the BSE agent include so-called specified risk material (SRM) such as the brain tissue and spinal cord, and mechanically recovered meat. The risk assessment also examined the potential for the BSE agent to be transmitted to consumers via edible collagen, edible tallow, gelatine, and milk and dairy products. SRM and mechanically recovered meat may be used in the preparation of canned beef products and smallgoods in some countries and therefore are considered to pose a potential hazard to Australian consumers. If sourced from an animal infected with BSE, the potential for these products to contain the BSE agent is high, because the raw materials are often sourced from older cattle with potentially high levels of the BSE agent. (Source: New Zealand Food Standards.)
  
  
• THE LIE: You can get mad cow disease from cosmetics and even kotex. Jelly, cookies, a broiled dish of sliced rice pasta and pizza will cause mad cow disease. Cosmetic products, sanitary napkins, and diapers are also risky because parts of cattle are used in production. Using any of the 600 products that use cow’s gelatin or collagen, such as cosmetics, maxi pads, diapers, etc., will give you BSE. (Gelatin or collagen is not SRM. This is mostly teenage scare-mongering.)
  
  FACT: Collagens and food grade gelatins (tallows) that are derived from the SRM materials pose a health threat and are prohibited by the USDA and other worldwide food safety agencies. The risk assessment examined the potential for the BSE agent to be transmitted to consumers via edible collagen, edible tallow, gelatine, and milk and dairy products. SRM and mechanically recovered meat may be used in the preparation of canned beef products and smallgoods in some countries and therefore are considered to pose a potential hazard to Australian consumers. If sourced from an animal infected with BSE, the potential for these products to contain the BSE agent is high, because the raw materials are often sourced from older cattle with potentially high levels of the BSE agent.
  
  However, materials such as collagens (used in cosmetics) and food grade gelatins (tallows) derived from cattle or pig hide is considered safe. Food-grade gelatine that has been produced from porcine skins and bovine hides is considered to pose a negligible risk to consumers, because skins and hides from these animals have been shown to contain negligible levels of the BSE agent. Where gelatine is derived from bones using a process that includes a sodium hydroxide step, the risk has also been shown to be negligible. However gelatine manufactured from bones where there is not a sodium hydroxide step results in a higher level of risk.
  
  Edible collagens are also produced from food-grade bovine hides. Collagens which have not been contaminated with SRM during slaughter, are also assessed as posing a negligible risk. The current use of edible tallows by the food industry as an ingredient in products such as cakes, biscuits and pastries is estimated to pose a negligible risk of transmission of the BSE agent. Current evidence indicates that milk and dairy products do not contain the BSE agent. (Source: Australia Food Standards.)
  
  As a matter of commonsense, exporting companies do NOT use SRM banned products simply because they will be put out of business if discovered -- and class-action suits could destroy them financially. It is simply a matter of fiscal wisdom to NOT use any illegal SRM by-products.
  
  
• THE LIE BSE is carried through knife or cutting board that touched infected meat. If you wash those things in water, BSE virus will survive in the water -- even through water treatment -- and will eventually infect the drinking water.
  
  FACT: BSE is not caused by virus – one has to eat the infected SRM to catch BSE. (Source: Ask a Korean.)
  
  
• THE LIE The BSE virus is this invincible thing that cannot be destroyed no matter what.
  
  FACT: It is true that BSE cannot be eliminated by cooking the infected part, but that is because BSE is not caused by bacteria or virus, but a mutated strain of protein. (Source: Ask a Korean.)
  
  
• THE LIE There are 5 million Alzheimer's patients in the U.S., and roughly 250,000~650,000 among them are suspected cases of BSE.
  
  FACT: The symptoms of Alzheimer's and BSE are completely different, and BSE kills within one or two years of diagnosis. Acute dementia is a slow progressive disease lasting years until death. (Source: Ask a Korean.)
  
  
• THE LIE All beef from cattle older than 30 months is unfit for animal feed. Then the predictable reaction from Koreans is: "Americans want us to eat meat that they won't even feed to their dogs?"
  
  FACT: This lie was morphed from the fact that SRM from cattle older than 30 months can no longer be used in animal feed in the U.S. (Source: Ask a Korean.)
  
  
• THE LIE The MBC news program 'PD Diary' reported that Aretha Vinson died of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) in early April when in an interview, Vinson's mother actually said, "The results had come in from the MRI and it appeared that our daughter could possibly have CJD," not vCJD. PD Diary touched off a public uproar over the import of U.S. beef after it reported on April 29 that the woman, identified as Arlene Vinson was likely to have died of vCJD.
  
  FACT: U.S. health authorities have ruled out that a woman in Virginia died of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), the human form of 'mad cow disease', contradicting a claim in April by the MBC current affairs program “PD Diary” that stoked massive fears about the safety of American beef in Korea.
  
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on its homepage (www.cdc.gov) said the National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center (NPDPSC) “ruled out the possibility of vCJD as the cause of death of a young Virginia woman who died earlier this year. Although this suspected case received international media attention, NPDPSC determined that the cause of death was not due to vCJD.”
  
  The Center explained that as of June 2008, a total of three people were reported to have died from vCJD in the U.S. All three cases “were epidemiologically linked to likely exposures to cattle products contaminated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, commonly known as ‘mad cow disease’) while residing in the United Kingdom (two cases) or Saudi Arabia (one case).”
  
  In a telephone interview with the Chosun Ilbo, CDC spokesman Dave Daigle on 16 Jun said the centers posted the announcement after performing their own checkup once the NPDPSC finished its investigation. He added that because the CDC only provide information on diseases, they have no plans to make a separate press release on the issue including the result of the investigation. The NPDPSC was set up by the CDC and the American Association of Neuropathologists to strengthen checks on various prion diseases. Doctors in the U.S. are recommended to take advantage of the diagnostic service provided by the NPDPSC to check the condition of patients who are suspected of contracting CJD or vCJD. (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)
  
  
• THE LIE A variant of the above. Even Americans won't eat their own beef and only eat Australian or Canadian beef, and now they are pushing their infected meat to be sold abroad.
  
  FACT: U.S. imports Australian and Canadian beef, mostly to be used at fast food chains because they are cheaper. (Source: Ask a Korean.)
  
  
• THE LIE: Scientists believe the disease spreads when farmers feed cattle recycled meat and bones from infected animals. In Americans use 30-month old "downed cattle" with BSE in animal feed. If the US animal feed is imported, all the ROK meat will be infected with mad cow disease.
  
  FACT: In the Korean misinformation and hysteria, ALL 30-month old cattle are potential BSE carriers and therefore, the use of ANY 30-month old in feed equates to using SRM materials in the feed. The insanity is that the SRM materials being added to the feed is the issue -- NOT the age of the cattle.
  
  The fact is that the latest 2008 regulation permits the use of animal parts (not fit for human consumption) in feed -- but at no time will SRM materials be included. To ensure this slaughterhouses comply with the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) program. HACCP is a systematic preventative approach to food safety and pharmaceutical safety that addresses physical, chemical, and biological hazards as a means of prevention rather than finished product inspection. HACCP is used in the food industry to identify potential food safety hazards, so that key actions, known as Critical Control Points (CCP's) can be taken to reduce or eliminate the risk of the hazards being realized. The system is used at all stages of food production and preparation processes including packaging, distribution, etc. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) use mandatory juice, seafood, meat and poultry HACCP programs as an effective approach to food safety and protecting public health. Meat and poultry HACCP systems are regulated by the USDA, while seafood and juice are regulated by the FDA. The use of HACCP is currently voluntary in other food industries. (Source: Wikipedia.)
  
  Following the OIE risk assessment that 30-month old beef posed no health risk, there was no need to implement a ban on 30-month old beef carcasses in the manufacture of feed as it stated in Oct 2005.
  
  In 2005 the FDA prohibited the use of SRM materials from 30-month old cattle. This would be reversed in 2007 after the OIE risk assessment was released declaring 30-month old cattle "safe." In Oct 2005 the FDA stated, "The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to amend the agency's regulations to prohibit the use of certain cattle origin materials in the food or feed of all animals. These materials include the following: The brains and spinal cords from cattle 30 months of age and older, the brains and spinal cords from cattle of any age not inspected and passed for human consumption, the entire carcass of cattle not inspected and passed for human consumption if the brains and spinal cords have not been removed, tallow that is derived from the materials prohibited by this proposed rule that contains more than 0.15 percent insoluble impurities, and mechanically separated beef that is derived from the materials prohibited by this proposed rule. These measures will further strengthen existing safeguards designed to help prevent the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in U.S. cattle." (Source: FDA.))
  
  After the OIE ruling in May 2007, the mention of the use of 30-month old carcasses was removed from the USDA rule. According to the USDA, "The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services (VS) regulates the importation of animals and animal-derived materials. More specifically, under 9 CFR 95.4, the USDA does not allow the importation of animal feeds or feed ingredients that contain or consist of processed animal protein (e.g. meat and bone meal) and other animal waste and by product materials that have been derived from animals that have been in specified BSE-affected and BSE-at-risk countries. The USDA may, however, allow for the importation of specific non-ruminant animal-derived products, provided the product is the subject of a valid USDA import permit (VS Form 16-6) " This all comes back to the OIE risk assessment that 30-month old beef is "safe." In Apr 2008, the USTR stated, "Under the protocol, Korea will reopen its market to U.S. beef from cattle 30 months and under, and will reopen its market to U.S. beef from cattle over 30 months upon U.S. publication of the enhanced feed ban rule, which has been under consideration in the United States for some time." (Source: USTR Fact Sheet.)
  
  According to US activists, "US beef is not safe. Among the few countries that are identified with the actual cases of mad cow disease, United States is the only country that continues to allow animal feed and weaning of calves on mixed milk and cattle blood. To date, American medical experts of mad cow disease continue to warn the public about the lack of regulations in the US to protect public from the risk of mad cow disease. Under the current meat slaughtering and processing practices, US beef may carry the highest risk of mad cow disease, for which citizens across the US have been organizing and fighting against." (Source: Concerned Americans Agains Mad Cow and USDAVSKorea blog.) (SITE NOTE: We cannot verify this statement about the US being the only country with this practice. Others say the U.S. was relatively late addressing cross-infection concerns. "One of the ways in which BSE spreads is by mixing in infected SRM into cattle feed. U.S. never really had that practice, but prohibited it anyway once that practice became a problem. However, mixing in SRM for feed for non-ruminating animals (like chickens) was still allowed. Then, theoretically, if a chicken eats BSE-infected SRM, and later parts from that chicken are mixed into cattle feed, the cattle may become infected – i.e. a cross-infection. FDA finally decided to prohibit mixing in SRM from cattle older than 30 months in any animal feed, but the prohibition does not come into effect until April 2009." This we cannot verify.)
  
  

  SITE NOTE: There was a commonsense appeal to Koreans on this issue in May 2008. The US side stated that until 1997, people in Korea consumed U.S. beef raised on cattle feed containing animal parts, but not a single one of Korea's 50 million population has contracted the disease. This did not fly and went unheeded.
  
  In Jan 2004, "The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is amending the Federal meat inspection regulations to designate the brain, skull, eyes, trigeminal ganglia, spinal cord, vertebral column (excluding the vertebrae of the tail, the transverse processes of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and the wings of the sacrum), and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of cattle 30 months of age and older, and the tonsils and distal ileum of the small intestine of all cattle, as ``specified risk materials'' (SRMs). The Agency is declaring that SRMs are inedible and prohibiting their use for human food. In addition, FSIS is requiring that all non-ambulatory disabled cattle presented for slaughter be condemned." (Source: USDA.) (SITE NOTE: The spinal column is sawed away during the processing of the meat. It is disposed of and is not used in any animal feed as it is designated at SRM material).
  
  In its final ruling in Jul 2007, the FDA clarified that an animal that "all non- ambulatory disabled cattle that are offered for slaughter be condemned, it also clarifies that FSIS inspection personnel will determine the disposition of cattle that become non-ambulatory after they have passed ante-mortem inspection on a case-by-case basis (9 CFR 309.3(e)). Thus, as explained above, FSIS PHVs may permit cattle that have passed ante- mortem inspection but that become non-ambulatory because of an acute injury prior to slaughter to proceed to slaughter and post-mortem inspection if the PHV can verify that the animal suffered an acute injury." In other words, only animals injured and not showing abnormalities can be used for human consumption and feed products. The SRM interim final rule requires that all non-ambulatory "disabled" cattle that are offered for slaughter be condemned. (Source: FDA.)

  The ROK claimed in May 2008 that it "misunderstood" the FDA statement in 2005 that it would limit the use of animal parts in animal feed. To anyone with a brain, this is a political cop-out to keep the public pressure down. If one expects a rational person to believe that an "expert" in his field would "misunderstand" a major point in the negotiations is stretching it very far. They state they thought the US was going to implement its intentions from a 2005 stance to limit animals used in feed to those under 20-months. Thus when the USDA came out with their Apr 2008 ruling that 30-month old beef was permissible it supposedly came as a shock. However, the "misunderstood" plea is simply a ploy of the Lee Myeong-bak administration to buy time.
  
  
• THE LIE: The US will continue to export diseased meat into Korea -- even if mad cow disease is discovered in the US.
  
  THE FACT: The first part of the falacious reasoning is that if one animal is diagnosed with BSE, ALL cattle from that nation have BSE. The OIE risk assessment is based on these numbers making it extremely rare if anyone will contract the disease. The analysis concluded that the prevalence of BSE in the United States is less than 1 case per million adult cattle. The analysis further revealed that the most likely number of cases is between 4 and 7 infected animals out of 42 million adult cattle processed annually. Statistically, in case of infection of ONE ANIMAL being found, the chances of anyone being infected is astronomical. The last infected animal was in 2005. There have been NO reported cases of BSE in America that ORIGINATED in America (two were British imigrants and one Saudi Arabian). The Korean populace chose to disregard these facts.
  
  According to the agreement, South Korea cannot ban American beef imports just because mad cow disease has broken out in the United States. Any country can ban beef imports only when OIE lowers the status of the U.S. as a controlled BSE risk country. Accordingly, it will be possible to ban beef imports only after OIE makes a risk assessment, no matter how many cases of BSE are reported. However, according to multilateral WTO rules, Korea can stop any foodstuffs under a bilateral agreement that it considers a health risk to its populace pending discussions on the validity of the claims.
  
  The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) will not automatically revise the United States' national risk classification if a mad cow case is confirmed there, a senior official of the Paris-based body said. Deputy director general Jean-Luc Angot told South Korean correspondents on Friday that the organization is not involved in international trade and limits itself exclusively to animal health and quarantine issues. South Korea's pact with the U.S. on beef imports is based on more stringent quarantine measures than the international standards set by his organization, says Jean-Luc Angot. But he tried to distance the Paris-based body from a political controversy over Seoul's decision to resume imports of American beef. (Source: Yonhap News.) In other words, the OIE only handles the risk assessment evaluation and does NOT involve itself in whether the beef is banned or not. That is handled under articles of the trade agreement. As it stands now, the OIE will have to change the risk assessment IF mad cow disease is found in the US and then...and only then... can the ROK take action to stop beef from the US.
  
  On the negative side -- if one agrees with the US activists claims -- the investigation and subsequent OIE ruling may take as long as two years. It may take over a year -- based upon past US track records for verifying past mad cow incidents in Texas and Alabama -- before they finally finish that epidemiological investigation. But even after that, exports will not be closed until the OIE recognizes an adverse change in the classification of the U.S. BSE status.
  
  However, the ROK does retain the right to prevent the importation of food stuffs it feels is detrimental to the health of its people. This is NOT a ban, but a temporary suspension that can be arbitrated under WTO standards. In the meantime, the OIE will start an investigation.
  
  U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab said on 12 May that South Korea can take any steps against American beef necessary for the protection of public health despite their latest pact on Seoul's beef imports. She supported the South Korean government's position that multilateral trade rules can override bilateral ones in dealing with such a food safety issue. President Lee Myung-bak on 13 May welcomed Washington's backing of Seoul's right to suspend U.S. beef imports if a case of mad cow disease is reported in the U.S. Lee's remarks came after his government declared it would block any potentially tainted beef imports from the U.S., following escalating public fear of mad cow disease ahead of the resumption of U.S. beef imports.
  
  The ROK media unfortunately immediately took it into their head that Schwab agreed that the ROK could renegotiate the agreement. All Schwab said was that the ROK has the right to protect the health of its people -- and as such could temporarily halt imports IF -- and a big IF -- mad cow disease appeared in the US ... but the proviso remains that it will be the OIE that slaps the "risk" label on the US before the ROK can institute a ban.
  
  South Korea also agreed not to immediately halt imports even if a new case of mad cow disease is discovered in the U.S. Instead, it will only move to halt imports if the OIE downgrades its safety rating for American cattle. Regardless of the agreements of stoppages only when the OIE rating changes the rating, Prime Minister Han Seung-soo on 8 May stated, "When mad cow disease, scientifically known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), breaks out in the U.S., and if it is deemed to pose a threat to the health of our citizens, we will immediately halt imports, inspect all imported beef, and send an investigative team to the U.S." A senior Cheong Wa Dae official did not deny the possibility of a trade dispute according to the letter of the bilateral agreement were BSE to break out in the U.S., since this states Korea cannot halt imports until a decision from the OIE.
  
  Korea Times on 9 May reported that Park Geun-hye, former chairwoman of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP), urged the United States to reconsider the U.S. beef import agreement. "There were no new cases of mad cow disease in the United States for the past few years. And the United States government is saying that U.S. beef is absolutely safe. So the solution is very simple. If there are new mad-cow cases, then the U.S. government should simply allow the South Korean government to stop all U.S. beef imports," Park said. We agree!!!
  
  Yonhap on 9 May reported that ROK political parties escalated disputes on the issue of renegotiating the agreement on U.S. beef imports. During a parliamentary interpellation session on 9 May, opposition legislators pressured the government to delay the May 15 resumption of beef imports and renegotiate with the U.S. on the terms that are deemed unfavorable to Seoul. The ruling Grand National Party lawmakers spurned the move as "politically-driven," vowing to resume imports under the schedule and also called for early ratification of a free trade agreement (FTA) with Washington.)
  
  
• THE LIE: American slaughterhouses are mismanaged and allow unsafe SRM to be sent to Korea.
  
  THE FACT: The ROK inspection team returned on 25 May and gave the slaughterhouses a clean bill of health, but the Korean public chose to ignore its report.
  
  Though tagging is the preferred method of identification of cattle, it has proven to be a hit-and-miss proposition in the US. The bottomline line is that not all cattle are tagged. Therefore, the method used by slaughterhouses is "dentition identification" or looking at the teeth to get age results -- with a high degree of accuracy. All slaughterhouses identify all animals that are classified as 30 months of age or older using dentition identification on the slaughter floor. These identified carcasses have the vertebral column (excluding the vertebrae of the tail, the transverse process of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and the wings of the sacrum), removed on the fabrication floor. All SRM's are removed from the edible food chain (from all animals - all tonsils and the distal ileum of the small intestine; and from animals 30 months or older the head – skull, eyes, brain, and trigeminal ganglia; and the vertebral column – spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia). (SITE NOTE: The spinal column is sawed away during the processing of the meat. It is disposed of and is not used in any animal feed as it is designated at SRM material).
  
  

  All facilities are Federally Inspected Establishments that are required to meet the requirements of 9CFR 416 and 417. These regulations ensure that the facilities have verified and validated their HACCP Programs and associated CCP's. This is monitored by FSIS Inspection personnel who are required to do so in order for product to contain the FSIS Mark of Inspection. All slaughterhouses assure they meet the the following regulatory requirements: (1) Testing of carcasses for E. coli Biotype I (9 CFR Part 310, §310.25), effective June 1997. (2) Implementation of SSOP (Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures, 9 CFR, Part 416, §416.11 - §416.17), effective January 26, 1997 (3) Implementation of HACCP Systems (9 CFR, Part 417, §417.1 - §417.8), effective January 27, 1998 for plants with greater than 500 employees. Testing of carcasses and/or ground beef for Salmonella as conducted by USDA in accordance with §310.25.

  Most use the captive bolt stunner that does not inject air into cranium of the animal nor any "pithing process" in stunning or SRM removal. This is to ensure the SRM material does not contaminate the other portions of meat. All slaughterhouses have programs and policies in place that prohibit the use of classified non-ambulatory (downers) from the edible process -- though the FDA ruling amended this in Apr 2008 so that non-ambulatory animals can be used after inspection by a certified inspector determines the animal fit for human consumption. The reason is that there are other reasons for non-ambulatory animals other than disease -- including physical injury.
  
  The greatest danger of contamination with SRM materials is during the stunning of cattle and splitting of the carcases. (See Overview of current and alternative slaughter practices.) As a result, the USDA has stringent standards to cover this area and prevent contamination of the carcases during processing.
  
  The slaughter practices which have a greater risk of contamination of carcases with SRM occur during the stunning procedure through dissemination of brain tissue and during carcase splitting through dispersal of spinal cord material. There is also a risk of contamination during butchering where SRM have not been removed. Other steps in the slaughtering process that may involve a risk of cross-contamination of carcases with SRM are head processing and carcase trimming. In non-European countries, SRM and mechanically recovered meat may be used in the preparation of smallgoods and canned beef products. If these products are sourced from an animal incubating BSE, the risk from these products is increased as raw materials may be sourced from older animals. The conditions to which meat and meat products are exposed during processing do not inactivate BSE infectivity. The thermal conditions used in processing of beef products such as canned meat and smallgoods are insufficient to completely inactivate the BSE agent. The conventional unit operations, such as filtration and washing, used in the food-processing industry, do not eliminate the BSE agent. (Source: Food Standards Australia.)
  
  The ROK proposed to have a state-by-state "reinspection" -- which the US said fine to but as an "audit" and NOT a reinspection. This was a government ploy to calm the masses was it was already written in the protocol that "During the first 90 days that the protocol is in effect, Korea has the option to audit and/or reject U.S. decisions regarding the listing of new plants or re-listing of previously de-listed plants." "The dispatch of inspectors was put off due to differences on the issue of scheduling their visits," a government official said. "However, inspectors will be able to depart for the U.S. within one to two weeks." The "fact-finding mission" left in the first week of May and was expected to return on May 25. The ROK inspection team returned and gave the slaughter houses a clean bill of health.
  
  
• THE LIE: If "downed cattle" are used in the US for animal feed, and downed cattle are more susceptible to BSE and the testing was significantly reduced in 2006 -- then the risk of BSE entering the food chain for cattle in increased. Thus US beef are at a higher risk.
  
  THE FACT: It is true that the USDA is testing only one-tenth of 1 percent of dead or slaughtered cattle, according to ConsumerReports.org. However, in May 2008, the USDA announced that all "downed cattle" will not be allowed to be used for animal feed.
  
  In July 2006, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture was transitioning to an ongoing BSE surveillance program that corresponds "to the extremely low prevalence of the disease in the U.S." The testing dropped from 450,000 to 40,000 annually. Under the program, USDA will continue to collect samples from a variety of sites and from the cattle populations where the disease is most likely to be detected, similar to the enhanced surveillance program procedures. Supposedly "the new program will not only comply with the science-based international guidelines set forth by the World Animal Health organization (OIE), it will provide testing at a level ten times higher than the OIE recommended level." (Source: USDA.)
  
  In April 2006, USDA released an analysis of 7 years of BSE surveillance data. This included data from an enhanced surveillance program, which began in June 2004, as a one-time effort to determine the prevalence of BSE in the United States. The analysis concluded that the prevalence of BSE in the United States is less than 1 case per million adult cattle. The analysis further revealed that the most likely number of cases is between 4 and 7 infected animals out of 42 million adult cattle. The analysis was submitted to a peer review process and a panel of outside experts affirmed the conclusions. The USDA announced in July 2006 that it would reduce testing for mad cow disease by 90 percent, to about 110 tests per day. The department based that decision on the finding that fewer than 1 in a million adult cattle were infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
  
  The enhanced surveillance program has been funded using emergency CCC funds totaling $157.8 million since June 2004. Ongoing surveillance will cost approximate $17 million per year using funds appropriated by Congress. The President's FY 2007 budget request includes this level of funding. BSE surveillance is not a food safety program. Human and animal health is protected by a system of interlocking safeguards, including the removal of specified risk materials - those tissues that studies have demonstrated may contain the BSE agent in infected cattle, along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 1997 ruminant to ruminant feed ban. Scientific studies indicate that the longer a feed ban is in place, the lower the prevalence of BSE will become. (Soruce: USDA.))
  
  However, cattle too sick or injured to walk will be banned from entering U.S. slaughterhouses, the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Tuesday (U.S. Eastern Standard Time), a change that comes at a time when Korean political circles are in turmoil over the negotiation to allow U.S. beef imports into Korea. The USDA said a total ban on so-called "downer" cattle from the U.S. food supply will help ensure meat safety. The rule should be in place in a "matter of months," according to Reuters. (Source: Joongang Ilbo.)
  
  Unfortunately, not all agree with the reduction in testing. Some medical experts would rather see more testing, not less. If the United States is testing to reassure consumers and overseas buyers that BSE is rare in the US, then the fewer we test, the fewer cases are found, according to Richard T. Johnson, MD, professor of neurology, microbiology, and neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg School of Public Health. Johnson chaired the 12-member committee that wrote the 2004 Institute of Medicine report, Advancing Prion Science: Guidance for the National Prion Research Program.
  
  
• THE LIE: The USDA has forced a slaughterhouse (Creekstone Farms) to NOT test animals for BSE even though it wanted to voluntarily do so.
  
  THE FACT: The USDA has decided to appeal a March 2007 ruling by a US District Judge who decided that the USDA unlawfully prohibited Creekstone Farms Premium Beef from testing all of its slaughtered cattle. Creekstone Farms, a Kansas beef producer, had filed a suit against the USDA in 2006 for prohibiting the farm from using the same BSE tests used by the USDA. Creekstone Farms says testing all slaughtered cattle would open up new Japanese and other overseas markets for US beef. The Japanese stated that they would broaden their markets to all tested beef. However, the USDA fears that by making the exception, other countries would also demand the same exception. The USDA holds that the OIE approved testing cycle is safe and should be adhered to. As a result, the USDA refused to sell additional testing kits to Creekstone Farms.
  
  "In refusing to allow Creekstone Farms to respond to its customers' preference for beef from animals that have been tested for BSE, the USDA is doggedly pursuing a course that scientists, consumer groups, trade associations and business, and members of Congress regard as a bad policy," according to Dennis Buhlke, Creekstone's president and CEO. "While Creekstone Farms has taken a lead role in this effort, it is not alone in believing that the government should not prevent private companies from voluntarily testing cattle for BSE." The problem is that the Creekstone Farms is looking at the limited view, while the USDA is looking at the industry wide view.
  
  Who is right is debatable but it is NOT a health issue. It is an economic issue. If Creekstone Farms tests all its animals, it will increase its sales to Japan. This increased testing does not improve the statistical odds of BSE incidence. This is the USDA argument that by doing so, it may force ALL the industry to do so -- sort of like everyone keeping up with the Jones' whether they need to do the test or not. The USDA appealed the judgement.
  
  
• THE LIE: The safety of beef from cattle slaughtered before May 2007 cannot be guaranteed as safe for human consumption. (May 2007 is when OIE designated the U.S. as a controlled BSE risk country.) In other words, the "old" US beef stored in the warehouses in Pusan and Kyonggi-do would be "at risk."
  
  THE FACT: This is another of the totally ridiculous "made-up" garbage the Progressives have come up with to confuse the issue. First, the items in the warehouses were imported under the "old" guidelines for Korea of boneless beef and therefore were "safe" BEFORE all this nonsense started. The reason they were stopped was because of "cuts with bones" (NOT SRM MATERIALS) were found in the shipments. The ROK was using any excuse to ban ALL the shipment because of one box of kalbi or other boned cuts -- that the US called "shipping errors." Just because there is a new agreement does not mean the beef in the boxes in the warehouse suddenly magically changed into "unsafe" cuts.
  
  The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries says it is impossible to import beef from the cattle butchered and processed in the U.S. before the two countries agreed on the latest import terms and conditions. As an exception, however, it is possible to quarantine and import beef stored at storage facilities at Busan Port or in the U.S. after export procedures already started before South Korea suspended American beef imports in October last year.
  
  According to the USTR in Apr 2008, "Product that has been in the shipment pipeline will enter under the new protocol. Specifically, U.S. deboned beef produced for the Korean market under the previous and more limited protocol and slaughtered before October 5, 2007 that remains at Korea's port of entry or in storage in the United States will be eligible for inspection by Korean inspectors." (Source: USTR Fact Sheet.)
  
  
• THE LIE: T-bone steaks are unsafe. T-bone steak originally from 20-month old beef, will come from 30-month old beef after 190 days from the agreement start.
  
  THE FACT: This Progressive claim needs to be split into two separate issues. (1) The 30-month age of the cattle used to produce the T-bone or Porterhouse steaks. (2) The Korean age labeling issue that was to be resolved within 190 days from the opening of the market.
  
  The first issue deals with the age of the T-bone steak cuts as it comes from a portion that includes the spinal column. The T-bone and Porterhouse are steak cuts of beef. They consist of a T-shaped bone with meat on each side. The larger side contains meat from the strip loin, whereas the smaller side contains the tenderloin. T-bone steaks from the rear end of the tenderloin contain a much larger section of the tenderloin, and are called porterhouse steaks. Due to their large size and the fact that they contain meat from two of the most prized cuts of beef (the short loin and the tenderloin), T-bone steaks are generally considered one of the highest quality steaks, and prices at steakhouses are accordingly high. Porterhouse steaks are even more highly valued due to their larger tenderloin.
  
  To cut a T-bone from butchered cattle, a lumbar vertebra is sawed in half through the vertebral column. The downward prong of the 'T' is a transverse process of the vertebra, and the flesh surrounding it is the spinal muscles. The small semi-circle at the top of the 'T' is half the vertebral foramen. Although the spinal cord is removed by packers during processing, there is still concern by some (in the European Union and Japan) that it could be a source of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, more commonly known as mad cow disease. This is because spinal tissue contains nerve cells which can transmit the prion that causes the disease. According to the EU, the production of beef on the bone, such as T-bone steak and Bistecca Fiorentina, is generally produced from cattle aged 22-30 months, and requires part of the vertebral column of the animal to be left in the final cut. Therefore, while there was no actual ban on "beef on the bone" as such, the young age limit at which the vertebral column had to be removed made it technically impossible to produce such specific beef cuts in the EU. Sales of beef containing the backbone of animals aged over 12 months were banned in 2001 in many European countries to reduce the risk of catching the human equivalent of BSE, mad cow disease. This low age limit effectively outlawed T-bone steaks.
  
  In Apr 2008, the European Union agreed to further relax food safety rules on T-bone steaks that were first imposed due to fears over mad cow disease, the European Commission said. "The European Commission adopted a regulation that will raise the age limit at which the vertebral column must be removed from beef from 24 to 30 months," one official at the European Commission said. (Source: Reuters.) There has been a significant and consistent decline in the number of positive cases of BSE in the EU over the past few years. Moreover, the average age of BSE infected animals has risen greatly, and there has been no detected case of BSE in a healthy slaughtered animal under 30 months since January 2001. The data (over 41 million tests since 2000) suggest that any infected cases now detected were contaminated before the stringent BSE rules were put in place at EU level in the 1990s, in particular the ban on meat and bone meal. In light of these positive developments, and taking into account improved scientific and technical knowledge, the Commission presented the TSE Roadmap (see MEMO/05/263) in July 2005, outlining possible changes to EU TSE measures that could be taken in the short, medium and long-term. The Roadmap reflects on the potential easing of certain BSE measures, which can be now considered as unnecessary taking into account the evolution of the epidemiology, while still ensuring the highest possible level of consumer safety. (Source: Rapid Press Release.)
  
  Under old EU guidelines only T-bone steaks under 24-month were considered safe. In April 2008, the EU revised its standard so that vertebrae must be removed from above 30-month old cattle for T-bone steaks. All T-bone steaks under 30-months are considered safe. There are no T-bone cuts from cattle above 30-months because the vertebrae is removed.
  
  The only sticking point is the 30 month age limit on these cuts of beef. Internationally -- except Japan which maintains a 20-month age limit -- the age of SRM risk materials has been raised to 30-months. In Apr 2008, the European Union raised the level for the removal of the vertebrae to 30 months -- of which the T-bone steak is a cut. Therefore, T-bone steaks UNDER 30-months internationally -- except Japan -- is considered safe.
  
  In Japan, the old standard is still used. This is the reason that only meat from under 20-month old cattle -- less susceptible to BSE -- are allowed into Japan. After the OIE risk assessment, the US is actively attempting to renegotiate its export agreement with Japan.
  
  The second issue that deals with T-bone steaks deals with a regulatory labeling issue. In Apr 2008, the USTR stated, During the first 180 days that the protocol is in effect, exports of T-bone and Porterhouse steaks need to include a notation on the box indicating that these cuts of beef come from cows under 30 months. (Source: USTR Fact Sheet.)
  
  According to some Koreans, the government has not given a full explanation to the public even though Korea agreed to the stipulation that it can label T-bone steak removed from cattle under 30 months for only 180 days from the day it resumes American beef imports. But a ministry official said, "We already explained this to the public when we gave a briefing on the results of the beef talks. The problem will be resolved if we apply this regulation during the initial stage of beef imports." In other words, it was to be handled by creating packaging regulations (markings of beef age) to implement the agreement. T-bone steaks were to be labeled as coming from beef below 30-months of age as per international standards. The ROK was going to make the labeling mandatory within that 190-day period.
  
  However, the Korean populace in their hysteria chose to listen to the scaremongering done by faceless individuals on the internet.
  
  

  (SITE NOTE: The best remark was from Ambassador Vershbow who said the Korean populace has the choice to buy or not to buy T-bone steaks. The US is not forcing them, but housewives should have the choice of buying lower priced beef or not. South Korea has some of the highest prices in the developed world for beef. A market survey shows that the price of 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of Korean beef steak sells in local supermarkets for about 6,350 won ($6.07). That is almost 60 percent higher than imported Australian beef. AND US Beef will beat that price hands down. Consumer savings will be huge. It is the housewives choice.)

  
  
  
  SRM portions of beef
  
  
• THE LIE: Ox-tail and head meat are unsafe. The Hankyoreh News headline read, "S. Korean gov't confirms that it agreed to import bovine parts containing SRMs"
  
  THE FACT: The first rumor of ox-tail and head being unsafe is the standard Progressive tactic of mixing fact with fiction to raise the hysteria levels. The bovine head meat (brain) is considered SRM material and therefore, unsafe. However, the coccygeal tail material is NOT considered unsafe by international standards. This is a standard ploy used repeatedly to use fact and fiction together to sway the masses. SRMs (Specified Risk Material) are defined to be the brain, skull, eyes, trigeminal ganglia, spinal cord, portions of the vertebral column, and dorsal root ganglia in cattle 30 months of age and older, and the tonsils and small intestine in all cattle regardless of age. Bovine spinal cord is the part of an animal most likely to contain BSE infectivity and is therefore classified as SRM. Because of this the T-Bone steak portions near the spinal column is considered by the European Union as a risk -- but recently it has upgraded the risk to above 30-month old cattle.
  
  However, there is great uncertainty about the human health risks associated with BSE; there is also a lack of evidence regarding the efficacy of currently practiced risk mitigation measures; and there is statistical evidence from the US and theUK that shows that requirements for SRM removal are not always completely met. Scientific research on BSE is rapidly evolving, with new discoveries announced frequently. Among the new discoveries, for example, is the July 2004 reported finding of prions (the agent that causes BSE) in tissues where prions were not known to exist, such as in the tongue muscle of hamsters.v This calls into question the notion that the removal of SRMs provides complete protection from BSE-infected cattle. (Source: Calf usa.)
  
  The Hankyoreh News headline read, "S. Korean gov't confirms that it agreed to import bovine parts containing SRMs" was a BLATANT LIE. The Hankyoreh said, "The new information about the agreement, which has been plagued by public opposition and government mistakes, was uncovered in a Hankyoreh report published on May 15. According to the report, South Korea agreed to import certain bovine parts but not classify them as SRM, even though the U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies the same parts as SRM and bans them from human consumption. Specified risk materials are most likely to be contaminated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease."
  
  It went on to say, "According to OIE standards for cows older than 30 months, seven bovine parts, including the brain, spinal column, spinal cord and some kinds of intestinal material, are banned because they could contain SRM. This means the entire spinal column, including the backbone and other vertebral bones, is classified as SRM." THIS IS A MEDIA LIE. All along the USDA has stated, "The materials identified as SRMs in the FSIS SRM interim final rule are the brain, skull, eyes, trigeminal ganglia, spinal cord, vertebral column (excluding the vertebrae of the tail, the transverse processes of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and the wings of the sacrum), and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) from cattle 30 months of age and older, and the distal ileum of the small intestine and tonsils from all cattle (9 CFR 310.22(a))." In addition, "some kinds of intestinal material" was modified when the distal ileum was shown to be able to be safely removed from the intestines without contamination. (SITE NOTE: The spinal column is sawed away during the processing of the meat. It is disposed of and is not used in any animal feed as it is designated at SRM material).
  
  The Hankyoreh continued, "Other bovine parts, like the third sacral nerve, are classified as SRMs and cannot be used for food. The new sanitary conditions for beef imports signed by Korea and the United States made some of these materials exempt from the import ban, including: the transverse and spinous processes of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae; the coccygeal vertebrae; the medial sacral crest; and the wings of the sacrum. Of these, the USDA has banned from human consumption the transverse and spinous processes of the cervical vertebrae, the spinous processes of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae and the medial sacral crest." THIS IS A MEDIA LIE. The article implies that the US intentionally forced the ROK to accept unsafe SRM materials -- like some sort of inhuman barbarian who doesn't care if the other lives or dies. This action by the Hankyoreh is unethical and smacks of poor journalistic research if unintentional -- or professional malfeasance if intentional. That a government official "agreed" is incredulous -- and brands the article a MEDIA LIE.
  
  The US from the onset of negotiations had always stated that it was excluding the parts in question. The list of these excluded parts is accepted WORLD-WIDE -- in Europe, Britain, Ireland, Canada, Mexico, etc. (SITE NOTE: That the Hankyoreh is spreading outright lies illustrates the problem with progressive newspapers -- ie, Tongil News. The Hankyoreh was selected by Roh Moo-hyun early on as his "unofficial news source." While Roh attacked the major newspapers (Chosun Ilbo, Joongang Ilbo and Donga Ilbo), he allowed grants to be made to the Hankyoreh as a public news source. As an example of the WORLD-WIDE Standard, Ireland states, "the vertebral column excluding the vertebrae of the tail, the spinous and transverse processes of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae and the median sacral crest and wings of the sacrum, but including the dorsal root ganglia of animals aged over 30 months." (Source: Food Safety Authority of Ireland.))
  
  In Apr 2008, the USTR stated, "The list of Specified Risk Material (SRM) to be removed is OIE-consistent, and includes tonsils and distal ileum from cattle of all ages and also the brain, eyes, spinal cord, skull, dorsal root ganglia (DRG), and vertebral column from cattle 30 months of age and over. This list excludes vertebrae of the tail, transverse processes, and spinous processes of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, median crest, and wings of the sacrum. Under the protocol, Korea will reopen its market to U.S. beef from cattle 30 months and under, and will reopen its market to U.S. beef from cattle over 30 months upon U.S. publication of the enhanced feed ban rule, which has been under consideration in the United States for some time. (Source: USTR Fact Sheet.)
  
  The bottomline is that ox-tail and bones used in kamjangtang (potato stew) are some of the most popular items in Korea. These alleged parts have been EXCLUDED FROM THE LIST OF SRM MATERIALS -- and acknowledged worldwide on all international lists -- and were brought up as scare tactics. The thoraic vertabrae (back) are in the chest area and is EXCLUDED as SRM material and is used in popular kamjangtang. The thoracic cage area is where kalbi (short ribs) comes from. The lumbar vertabrae is in the lower back area and EXCLUDED as SRM material . The sacrum is in the pelvic area (between the lumbar and coccyx tail) and is EXCLUDED as SRM material. The coccygeal tail is EXCLUDED as SRM material and used for ox-tail soup.
  
  Seoul stated that it made a "mistake" in its negotiations with Washington on resumption of U.S. beef imports. Animal parts classified as specified risk materials in the United States, including bones and nerves attached to the backbone and cervical vertebrae and a part of the tailbone were agreed to be part of the imports. It is said that these parts are essential ingredients for ox-tail soup, head meat (kamjangtang) and T-bone steak, which are Korean favorites. However, the Korean activists claim that most of these parts have been prohibited from trading by the OIE because they can cause mad cow disease.
  
  
• THE LIE: The US consumer eats ONLY beef under 20 months (less susceptible to BSE) but the older than 30-month beef (more susceptible to BSE) will be shipped to Korea. The U.S. will export beef to Korea which is less safe than that intended for US domestic consumption.
  
  THE FACT: Any person capable of rational thought have would discarded this lie without a second thought. But this is Korea that has foresaken rational thought for hysteria. The target of this claim was obvious: The evil US was trying to poison the ROK citizens and the incompetent LMB administration allowed the US to do so.
  
  The Agriculture Ministry said American cattle farms do not distinguish beef cuts for domestic consumption from those for export, nor is there a difference in the slaughter process. The only difference is the export packaging for long-haul transportation. The authorities of both the US and ROK stated that there is no difference in the meat used domestically and for export. 94 percent of all beef slaughtered in the US is for domestic consumption, while 6 percent is for export.
  
  Even Korean-Americans have soundly refuted this notion, but there have been some supposed "Korean-American housewives" (who won't identify themselves) who have commented on the TV and in the media their support for the present campaign. (SITE NOTE: Then came Lee Sun-young, a housewife in Atlanta, who became an instant star after she expressed her opinion in MBC TV's ``100 Minute Debate'' via phone. Lee spoke of advanced meat recovery products and said that not all Americans are happy with the meat they eat. Internet users assessed her later as a lot better than the panelists in the debate program. She later called up the organizers of the candlelit vigils and expressed her support.)
  
  Regardless, Prime Minister Han Seung-soo on 8 May pledged the government would ensure that the U.S. indicates the age of cattle on beef exported to Korea, and will return beef that fails to show whether animals were younger or older than 20 months old at the time of slaughter. This is only a packaging promise -- NOT any promise to stop 30-month old beef. The answer sidestepped the question of whether 30-month old beef will enter the country. The US position is that the 30-month old beef is safe and under the agreement, 30-month old beef will be allowed into the Korean market based upon the OIE risk assessment. The Korean populace did NOT buy it.
  
  Then the US stepped in. To refute claims that the US does not eat beef over 30-months, the US responded that it does indeed consume it. It stated that the younger beef is usually the prime cuts. However, about 95 percent of the over 30-month old cattle goes primarily into hamburger meat -- in a nation that is addicted to hamburgers. 5 percent is shipped overseas with over 96 countries accepting over 30 month old beef.
  
  To the claim that the US does not import over 30 month old cattle, some bloggers responded as follows: "The US accepts Canadian beef imports older than 30 months. In fact, they accept any cattle born after March 1, 1999, which is determined by the USDA to be the date of effective enforcement of the ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban in Canada. Yes, America imports 8-year old cattle from Canada. So not only do we Americans eat 30+ month old beef, we eat 100-month old beef imported from Canada, which has had 20 times the incidences of BSE than the US."
  
  
  Korean Federation for Environmental Movement climbed the MacDonald's arches to raise their protest (29 May 2008) (Yonhap News)
  
  
  
  
• THE LIE: McDonald's Korea uses American beef which is over 30-months old -- and therefore, more susceptible to BSE. Later, McDonald's in the US used beef from 30-month or older cows and cow innards in its hamburger patties.
  
  THE FACT: On 29 May 2008, members of local environmental organizations protested against the resumption of U.S. beef imports by climbing on top of McDonald's golden arches at its Jongno-based headquarters -- even though McDonald's uses Australian and New Zealand beef. This allegation that McDonald's used AMERICAN beef caused people to stop eating at McDonald's and McDonalds strongly protested and stated that they have used only Australian and New Zealand beef since 1995. Their comments were posted in all the media dailies that McDonald's Korea would continue to use ONLY beef from Australia and New Zealand. All the big stores serving hamburgers (i.e., Lotteria) have on their websites and at their cash registers that they use Australian beef.
  
  On 6 Jun 2008 during MBC’s “100 Minute Debate”, a Korean group called the New Right National Alliance alleged that McDonalds used beef from 30 month or older cows and cow innards in its hamburger patties sold in the U.S. The New Right National Alliance is an organization that is usually pro-America. Its representative was likely trying to point out that the consumption of beef over aged 30 months was commonplace, but the words became misconstrued. According to some, the Korean text seems to confirm this interpretation. Of course some Koreans concluded that McDonalds Korea used the above mentioned patties leading to phone calls to its franchises by nervous customers and the downing of McDonald’s homepage in Korea. McDonalds Korea issued a rebuttal stating that it used Australian beef and that beef patties in the U.S. are made from cows that are younger than 30 months, and that innards are not used.
  
  The New Right National Alliance issued an apology and a retraction but the damage had already been done. It said the remark came out of misunderstanding and doesn't represent the official stance of the group. ``We send our sincerest apologies for confusing people and dealing unintended damage to McDonald's with incorrect comment,'' the NRU said. ``The comment was made by an individual and has nothing to do with the organization.'' McDonald's Korea posted the apology on its home page with a notice that the fast-food chain has been using beef from Australia and New Zealand only in its products since 1995. The Korean corporation of the U.S.-based giant had requested an official apology from NRU, which the conservative association had given. (Source: Hankyung and Korea Times.) (SITE NOTE: The progressives and conservatives in Korea use a ploy to form "alliances" or "Pan-Korea" groups. With a group numbering ten members joined with another with ten or more members, the group as an "alliance" suddenly gains the same recognition as a large group with thousands of members. The media does NOT check on the groups credibility and the public blindly accepts the groups as representing a large constituency. The NRU, launched in 2005, called itself the ``New Right'' to draw a distinction from the previous right wing's negative legacy involving past military regimes and political cronyism. Its affiliate, Text Forum, stirred controversy after releasing an ``alternative'' school history textbook in 2006, with a seriously right-leaning interpretation of the country's modern historical events.)
  
  
• THE LIE: Korean hanwoo beef is safe.
  
  THE FACT: Koreans are STATISTICALLY at a higher risk than other nations from its own beef because it simply is an unknown factor. Korea has NOT submitted the full materials needed for BSE risk assessment and is therefore it is listed by the OIE as an "undetermined risk". The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries claimed the government submitted documents for BSE risk assessments in November but the OIE asked for supplementary information.
  
  Applicants are divided into three categories: negligible, controlled and undetermined BSE risk, which includes countries that did not submit applications or failed the assessments. Among 172 OIE members, only 6.4 percent are categorized. The number of countries in the categories of negligible and controlled risk will likely jump later this month. Five countries like Finland and Sweden are in the negligible category, and 25 countries including Britain, Spain and Ireland are in the category of controlled risk. The 30 countries' categories will be finalized at the annual general session of the OIE in Paris on May 25-30.
  
  The Koreans reply, "In Korea, no case of mad cow disease has been reported and the country is not a beef exporter. So why do we need an OIE risk assessment?" The reason is simple. The Koreans are in fact dismissing the OIE risk assessment as invalid and cry about their health being at risk from US beef. At the same time, they import Australian and New Zealand beef using the same OIE standards and call them "safe." At the same time, they eat "unsafe" beef in one uses the same OIE standards used to call the Australian/New Zealand beef "safe." The Koreans are viewed as blithering idiots and babbling fools when the subject of Korean beef enters the discussions.

  (SITE NOTE: The ROK does NOT want to submit its materials for a risk assessment. It became a member of the OIE when it entered the United Nations, but has not taken any action on its beef for over a decade. Why? If one has every driven by the small hanwoo farms where cows are penned in rundown sheds without any sanitation standards for runoff and questionable feed used, it would be good reason NOT to submit the materials. Its slaughterhouse procedures are handled by small private concerns and basically unregulated. Shipment and handling of the beef is in the hands of middlemen who are unlicensed and then given to the butcher shops. Submitting materials to the OIE would reveal the true conditions -- when compared to world standards -- of the hanwoo market. There are no controls and the quality and safety of the meat is uncertain. An OIE risk assessment would prove one way or other whether hanwoo beef is "clean and safe."
  
  When the ROK started its beef row with the US over the safety of its beef -- and tacitly implied that its beef was "safe" -- it started this row -- a row that dates back to 2003 when it closed its markets to the US beef over mad cow disease. Its excuse is that it is NOT a beef exporter so it does not need to have an OIE risk assessment doesn't fly. The ROK government has tacitly allowed the comparison of hanwoo beef as safe, while US beef is unsafe. Now is the time to put up or shut up.
  
  The Korean populace know this, but choose to ignore this fact that their beef is unsafe by world standards.)

  In applications for BSE risk assessments, countries must demonstrate that they have conducted BSE surveillance; have not fed cattle animal feed being made of cow parts; have awareness, education and reporting programs; and are in compliance with overall OIE rules. A ministry official said Korea "did not have enough time" to prepare and will apply for assessment again later this year after gathering more data on BSE risk cows and supplement documents. (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)
  
  KBS' "News Issue Ssam" news program recently showed a sick cow being sold on the black market and heading to a slaughterhouse. According to a livestock trader in an accompanying interview, the slaughtered cow would be sold for human consumption. The program also said Korean cattle farmers imported feed that contained meat and bones until 2004, and it's uncertain where this feed -- the type believed to be the source of mad cow disease -- was used. The producers said the purpose of the program was to show that there is no 100-percent assurance that Korean beef, or hanwoo, is completely safe for consumption.
  
  According to the article, "The contents of this program are probably true. Everyone knows there are weaknesses in Korea's food safety monitoring system. Korea has not registered to be classified by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) on the safety of its cattle against mad cow disease, so we don't know just how safe our beef really is." (Source: Chosun Ilbo.))
  
  To add more fuel to the controversy, in Jul 2008 it was reported that about 600 so-called downer cattle have been slaughtered and sold for consumption in Kyonggi Province every year. The affliction, which causes animals to stagger, has nothing to do with mad cow disease, but the Kyonggi provincial government decided no longer to slaughter such cattle in the future but buy all of them to dispose of for purposes other than eating. (SITE NOTE: The question that arises is that 600 downer cows per year is only from Kyonggi Province. How many cattle is it for the entire nation? What makes this serious is that MBC made a major production of deceptively calling "downer" cattle as being equated to BSE infected cattle. This turned the fury of protestors into a violent rampage. However, with the announcement that Korea has all along done the same of slaughtering "downer" cattle for human consumption, makes the MBC reports appear to be intentionally done to inflame the public. The government is also at fault for not releasing this data sooner to offset the negative effects of the MBC programs.)
  
  The provincial government on Monday said about 600 of the 130,000 cattle slaughtered there every year cannot stand on their own feet. These animals show symptoms of metabolic disorders, fractures, birth defects or debility. Gyeonggi Province has so far inspected only 1,680 cattle, or 1.3 percent of all the animals slaughtered annually in the province for mad cow disease, but all downer cattle. It therefore permitted their slaughter and sale as beef.
  
  But amid massive protests against U.S. beef imports and public confusion over the distinction between downer cows and animals infected with BSE, the province will increase the number of cattle subject to inspection for mad cow disease to 5,040 animals annually, and buy all downer cattle to process them as industrial oil and fat through high-temperature sterilizing treatment, instead of selling them as beef. An official said the Gyeonggi provincial government will inspect only six slaughterhouses this year but all 13 slaughterhouses in the province next year to enhance sanitation. (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)

(SITE NOTE: The Hankyoreh News headline read, "S. Korean gov't confirms that it agreed to import bovine parts containing SRMs" was a BLATANT LIE. It should be noted that the Hankyoreh is a publicly-owned progressive paper that was previously supported with some grants from the Roh administration.

The Hankyoreh said, "The new information about the agreement, which has been plagued by public opposition and government mistakes, was uncovered in a Hankyoreh report published on May 15. According to the report, South Korea agreed to import certain bovine parts but not classify them as SRM, even though the U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies the same parts as SRM and bans them from human consumption. Specified risk materials are most likely to be contaminated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease." This means the Hankyoreh first published this lie on May 15.

It went on to say, "According to OIE standards for cows older than 30 months, seven bovine parts, including the brain, spinal column, spinal cord and some kinds of intestinal material, are banned because they could contain SRM. This means the entire spinal column, including the backbone and other vertebral bones, is classified as SRM." THIS IS A MEDIA LIE. The spinal column is sawed away during the processing of the meat. It is disposed of and is not used in any animal feed as it is designated at SRM material. The remaining meat/bone products are classified as safe for human consumption. All along the USDA -- as well as Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, etc. in Food Safety reports -- has stated, "The materials identified as SRMs in the FSIS SRM interim final rule are the brain, skull, eyes, trigeminal ganglia, spinal cord, vertebral column (excluding the vertebrae of the tail, the transverse processes of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and the wings of the sacrum), and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) from cattle 30 months of age and older, and the distal ileum of the small intestine and tonsils from all cattle (9 CFR 310.22(a))." In addition, "some kinds of intestinal material" was modified with SRM parts were shown to be able to be removed without contamination. This becomes a Korean favorite -- beef "tripe stew."

The Hankyoreh continued, "Other bovine parts, like the third sacral nerve, are classified as SRMs and cannot be used for food. The new sanitary conditions for beef imports signed by Korea and the United States made some of these materials exempt from the import ban, including: the transverse and spinous processes of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae; the coccygeal vertebrae; the medial sacral crest; and the wings of the sacrum. Of these, the USDA has banned from human consumption the transverse and spinous processes of the cervical vertebrae, the spinous processes of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae and the medial sacral crest." THIS IS A MEDIA LIE. The article implies that the US intentionally forced the ROK to accept unsafe SRM materials -- like some sort of inhuman barbarian who doesn't care if the other lives or dies. This action by the Hankyoreh is unethical and smacks of poor journalistic research if unintentional -- or professional malfeasance if intentional. That a government official "agreed" is incredulous -- and brands the article a MEDIA LIE.

The US from the onset of negotiations had always stated that it was excluding the parts in question. The list of these excluded parts is accepted WORLD-WIDE -- in Europe, Britain, Ireland, Canada, Mexico, etc. (SITE NOTE: That the Hankyoreh is spreading outright lies illustrates the problem with progressive newspapers -- ie, Tongil News. The Hankyoreh was selected by Roh Moo-hyun early on as his "unofficial news source." While Roh attacked the major newspapers (Chosun Ilbo, Joongang Ilbo and Donga Ilbo), he allowed grants to be made to the Hankyoreh as a public news source. As an example of the WORLD-WIDE Standard, Ireland states, "the vertebral column excluding the vertebrae of the tail, the spinous and transverse processes of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae and the median sacral crest and wings of the sacrum, but including the dorsal root ganglia of animals aged over 30 months." (Source: Food Safety Authority of Ireland.))

In Apr 2008, the USTR stated, "The list of Specified Risk Material (SRM) to be removed is OIE-consistent, and includes tonsils and distal ileum from cattle of all ages and also the brain, eyes, spinal cord, skull, dorsal root ganglia (DRG), and vertebral column from cattle 30 months of age and over. This list excludes vertebrae of the tail, transverse processes, and spinous processes of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, median crest, and wings of the sacrum. Under the protocol, Korea will reopen its market to U.S. beef from cattle 30 months and under, and will reopen its market to U.S. beef from cattle over 30 months upon U.S. publication of the enhanced feed ban rule, which has been under consideration in the United States for some time. (Source: USTR Fact Sheet.)

The bottomline is that ox-tail and bones used in kamjangtang (potato stew) are some of the most popular items in Korea. These alleged parts have been EXCLUDED FROM THE LIST OF SRM MATERIALS -- and acknowledged worldwide on all international lists -- and were brought up as scare tactics. The thoraic vertabrae (back) are in the chest area and is EXCLUDED as SRM material and is used in popular kamjangtang. The thoracic cage area is where kalbi (short ribs) comes from. The lumbar vertabrae is in the lower back area and EXCLUDED as SRM material . The sacrum is in the pelvic area (between the lumbar and coccyx tail) and is EXCLUDED as SRM material. The coccygeal tail is EXCLUDED as SRM material and used for ox-tail soup.

Seoul stated that it made a "mistake" in its negotiations with Washington on resumption of U.S. beef imports. Animal parts classified as specified risk materials in the United States, including bones and nerves attached to the backbone and cervical vertebrae and a part of the tailbone were agreed to be part of the imports. It is said that these parts are essential ingredients for ox-tail soup, head meat (kamjangtang) and T-bone steak, which are Korean favorites. However, the Korean activists claim that most of these parts have been prohibited from trading by the OIE because they can cause mad cow disease.

US ranchers, who have played the role of slander against the conclusion of the KORUS FTA as they claimed there would be no FTA without the complete opening of Korea's beef market, have changed their basic position 180 degrees since the agreement on beef, and are now actively working for the early ratification of the FTA. (SITE NOTE: Is this news? The US has expressed this opinion from the start -- No Beef, No FTA. Once the beef market opened up, the NCBA supported the FTA. Yes, the beef was NOT on the FTA agenda, but it became a major point after about the mid-way point in negotiations. The Kyunghyang story says much about its readership -- probably used to a story with plenty of pictures. However, the main point is that the progressive media is still stirring up trouble.)

Supposed the NCBA had a detailed plan for Korea, including restarting exports of boneless beef from cows under 30 months old, getting a clean bill of health from the OIE, making the full opening of the Korean beef market a condition to FTA ratification, rendering impotent Korea's strict quarantine measures, and having Korea remove customs and tariffs through the ratification of the FTA. The Korean government is faulted for failing to see through this scheme, but also permitted the import of beef from cows over 30 months old and gave authority over quarantine to the United States.

---

Hanwoo Beef Safe?

Beef eaters stampeding directly to hanwoo farmers -- Cooperative buying groups drive up sales of local beef (May 2008) Amid the mad cow disease controversy that has swept the nation, more Korean consumers are teaming up to buy Korean cattle, or hanwoo. Fear induced by the government"s announcement that it will resume U.S. beef imports has spurred some people to organize buying groups with their neighbors, friends and relatives. Their goal is to purchase fresh local beef and bypass concerns over imported meat.

These groups establish direct relationships with individual cattle ranchers across the country, instead of buying beef from wholesalers. A 64-year-old housewife, who only gave her family name, Park, recently organized a hanwoo association with 11 of her friends. They each set aside 40,000 won ($38) to buy themselves a small Korean cow from a rural ranch. They plan to divide up the different cuts between them. "I decided to join the mutual association because I want to buy my grandson better beef," Park said. "Other people around me are also forming groups to buy Korean beef together."

Another 57-year-old housewife, who wished to be identified only by her last name, Ahn, already bought a 750-kilogram (1,653-pound) cow with three neighbors from an Andong farm in North Gyeongsang. The cow cost them 6.7 million won; they paid the butcher an additional 1 million won.

Others are having ranchers custom-raise their cattle. The clients provide specific instructions for the farmers. "We have raised a total of 25 calves," said a Hongseong, Gangwon farming association official who declined to be named. "The calves are specially fed organic rice straw and barley." In addition to those making deals with ranchers offline, there are also people taking part in cooperative buying over the Internet.

These days, dozens of ranches periodically put cattle on sale through online shopping malls such as Auction and Gmarket. According to the ranch owners who deal directly with consumers, group buying on the Web is catching on as more Internet users try to bid on Korean beef. "As the dispute over the resumption of U.S. beef imports escalates, the total sales of hanwoo have increased more than fourfold," said Shin Young-ho, owner of Sobaek Ranch. (Source: Joongang Ilbo.)


Hanwoo Beef tasting -- PR Work for local beef (8 Jun 2008) (Hankyoreh)

More Madness: Now Korean Beef is Scrutinized (May 2008) KBS' "News Issue Ssam" news program recently showed a sick cow being sold on the black market and heading to a slaughterhouse. According to a livestock trader in an accompanying interview, the slaughtered cow would be sold for human consumption. The program also said Korean cattle farmers imported feed that contained meat and bones until 2004, and it's uncertain where this feed -- the type believed to be the source of mad cow disease -- was used. The producers said the purpose of the program was to show that there is no 100-percent assurance that Korean beef, or hanwoo, is completely safe for consumption.

The contents of this program are probably true. Everyone knows there are weaknesses in Korea's food safety monitoring system. Korea has not registered to be classified by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) on the safety of its cattle against mad cow disease, so we don't know just how safe our beef really is.

But such programs can immediately trigger suspicions that hanwoo may come from infected cows. The images that prompted the groundless fears over U.S. beef were of American cows that couldn't stand up. But the disease that causes that symptom is different from mad cow disease. If hanwoo cattle showed the same symptoms, then the chances of mad cow disease would still be negligible.

The topic of food safety is a very sensitive one and even small incidents can lead to drastic drops in sales. Already, beef restaurants are said to be losing a lot of customers. Images and sounds related to food shown on TV can have an enormously destructive impact. The public will end up wondering what to do if even hanwoo is seen as dangerous to consume. The TV companies need to think about the impact they can have on society and whether this is reasonable.

Out of a global population of 6.7 billion people, not a single person this year has come down with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, which is the human form of mad cow disease. Last year, only one person -- a Briton -- contracted CJD. It is right to prepare for all possibilities, but overdoing it can lead to problems. (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)

Hanwoo Beef Price Jacked Up by Middlemen (May 2008) Anybody who goes to a neighborhood butcher's or department store's food section would wonder why Korean beef is so expensive, if they are not already overwhelmed by its price tag and can't even think about buying it. A recent report by the Korean Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp., a semi-government organization, gives part of the explanation, blaming ``margins'' pocketed by middlemen and retailers for the exorbitant price of Korean beef. In a nutshell, a rancher sells a cow for 5 million won or $5,000, but the price is jacked up by 3 million won to 8 million won when it is carved into various cuts and turned into processed products before being placed on display for consumers at retail shops. The report cites a rancher in Hoengseong, Gangwon Province, the area from which the best Korean beef originates, who hands over his ``subprime'' 650kg cow for 5.26 million won to middlemen called ``collectors.'' The collectors sell it to meatpackers, adding 340,000 won to the bill as fees for slaughtering, transportation and refrigeration plus margins. Now the price goes up to 5.6 million won before retailers take over.

The report says that it is retailers who jack up the price. They include 1 million won for rent and personnel expenses and add another 1.67 million won for profit margins. When consumers buy Korean beef in cuts, the final cost of the cow has risen to 8 million won. The finding, however, doesn't entirely blame retailers alone for the price inflation of Korean beef.

For ranchers who use a coop to directly deal with retailers, additional relevance is given to the common belief that middlemen are wedged in a protracted process between ranchers and consumers. For instance, a Hoengseong rancher hands over a cow for 7.43 million won, which also includes 120,000 won for slaughtering, to the so-called ranchers' association. The association adds 1.25 million won for expenses and fees before handing it over to a logistics center. The center adds 1.28 million won as sale fees to the price, which now comes up to 9.96 million won.

Retailers beef up the price tag with margins and expenses of 2.3 million won, which brings up the final price to 12.3 million won. In this case, a rancher gets less than 60 percent of the price charged to consumers. The report says that these two Hoengseong cases reflect the general situation nationwide as ranchers only get about 61 percent to 63 percent of the price charged to consumers for their cattle. ``The protracted process standing between ranchers and consumers should be streamlined with margins added in between to be rationalized in order to bring competitiveness to Korean beef,'' Oh Se-il, a senior researcher at the Korean Rural Economic Institute, was quoted by Yonhap News as commenting in the report. Oh suggested the consolidation of production, processing and wholesaling, while organizing many cottage industry-level ranchers into bigger corporate types. (Source: Korea Times.)

Korea Slow to Clear Its Own Mad Cow Assessment (May 2008) Korea has not submitted the full materials needed for BSE risk assessment and is therefore in the mad cow disease category of “undetermined risk”, the deputy director general of the world organization for animal health (OIE) told Korean reporters recently. Jean-Luc Angot called on Seoul to submit related documents and get categorized to reassure consumers of the safety of domestic beef. In the OIE’s assessment, the U.S. is a “controlled risk.” The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries claimed the government submitted documents for BSE risk assessments in November but the OIE asked for supplementary information. (SITE NOTE: The ROK does NOT want to submit its materials for a risk assessment. It became a member of the OIE when it entered the United Nations, but has not taken any action on its beef for over a decade. Why? If one has every driven by the small hanwoo farms where cows are penned in rundown sheds without any sanitation standards for runoff and questionable feed used, it would be good reason NOT to submit the materials. Its slaughterhouse procedures are handled by small private concerns and basically unregulated. Shipment and handling of the beef is in the hands of middlemen who are unlicensed and then given to the butcher shops. Submitting materials to the OIE would reveal the true conditions -- when compared to world standards -- of the hanwoo market. There are no controls and the quality and safety of the meat is uncertain. An OIE risk assessment would prove one way or other whether hanwoo beef is "clean and safe.")

In applications for BSE risk assessments, countries must demonstrate that they have conducted BSE surveillance; have not fed cattle animal feed being made of cow parts; have awareness, education and reporting programs; and are in compliance with overall OIE rules. A ministry official said Korea “did not have enough time” to prepare and will apply for assessment again later this year after gathering more data on BSE risk cows and supplement documents. (SITE NOTE: When the ROK started its beef with the US over the safety of its beef -- and tacitly implied that its beef was "safe" -- it started this row -- a row that dates back to 2003 when it closed its markets to the US beef over mad cow disease. Its excuse is that it is NOT a beef exporter so it does not need to have an OIE risk assessment doesn't fly. The ROK government has tacitly allowed the comparison of hanwoo beef as safe, while US beef is unsafe. Now is the time to put up or shut up.)

Applicants are divided into three categories: negligible, controlled and undetermined BSE risk, which includes countries that did not submit applications or failed the assessments. Among 172 OIE members, only 6.4 percent are categorized. The number of countries in the categories of negligible and controlled risk will likely jump later this month. Five countries like Finland and Sweden are in the negligible category, and 25 countries including Britain, Spain and Ireland are in the category of controlled risk. The 30 countries’ categories will be finalized at the annual general session of the OIE in Paris on May 25-30.

A better category ensures beef exporters a competitive edge. If a country is in the undetermined category, it can sell beef overseas but faces disadvantages in talks on sanitary and quarantine conditions. In Korea, no case of mad cow disease has been reported and the country is not a beef exporter. Why then does it want to get categorized? Kim Chang-seob, a chief veterinary officer at the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said Korea will have the advantage over negotiating partners in beef talks if it is placed in the negligible risk category. The country also needs an advance international evaluation that Korean beef is clean and safe, he added. (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)

Korea to Tighten Inspection on Homegrown Beef (May 2008) The government will increase the number of quarantine inspections on domestically raised cattle in line with the resumption of the U.S. beef import this week, officials said on 28 May. Quarantine authorities said they are planning to increase the budget and the number of inspectors for the detection of bovine spongiform encephalopathy -- commonly known as mad cow disease ? at local slaughterhouses. The goal is to obtain enough test cases for the application of a safety assessment from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) this year.

The new policy is expected to reduce criticism on South Korea's relatively lax quarantine process for domestic cattle. Many local and foreign media and politicians have pointed out that anti-U.S. beef protestors are turning a blind eye to the questionable sanitary conditions Korean cows are raised in. ``We are having internal discussions to expand our quarantine team,'' said Lee Byung-gwon, public relations official at the National Veterinary Research & Quarantine Service. ``We have been carefully monitoring domestic cattle and we believe we did good enough for the health of the people. But limited budget and workforce have constrained us,'' he said. Lee expected that the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will include the plan as an extra clause when it announces the resumption of U.S. beef import quarantine as early as today.

South Korea has not submitted the full materials needed for BSE risk assessment and therefore is categorized as having ``undetermined risk'' by OIE. The United States has earned ``controlled risk'' status last year. There has been no reported case of mad cow disease in South Korea, while recently there were two in the United States, one in 2006 and the other in 2007. Critics have said that the disease might have gone undetected in Korea for years because so few domestic cows are inspectioned. The same suspicion is rife for U.S. cattle as well.

According to the food ministry, the national quarantine service inspected 24,172 cows between 2001 and 2007 and earned 96,537 points out of the process -- 0.01 point is earned when inspecting a healthy cow, and up to 750 points are added for a sick cow. The requirement for the OIE application is 240,000 points, which means that quarantine officials will concentrate on high-point sick cows from now on. ``We have long prepared for the strengthening of the safety inspection process. We are just hurrying it up a little bit, because the issue is drawing too much attention these days,'' said Kang Dae-jin, the ministry official in charge of the cattle quarantine. In addition, Kang said that feeding any animal protein to cattle will be prohibited from this fall, with an exception of fish protein. The mad cow disease is believed to be caused by cattle being fed meat and bones of other cattle. The Korea government banned the feeding of cow remains to cows since 1996. (Source: Korea Times.)

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600 Downer Cows a Year in Kyonggi-do (Jul 2008) To add more fuel to the controversy, in Jul 2008 it was reported that about 600 so-called downer cattle have been slaughtered and sold for consumption in Kyonggi Province every year. The affliction, which causes animals to stagger, has nothing to do with mad cow disease, but the Kyonggi provincial government decided no longer to slaughter such cattle in the future but buy all of them to dispose of for purposes other than eating. (SITE NOTE: The question that arises is that 600 downer cows per year is only from Kyonggi Province. How many cattle is it for the entire nation? What makes this serious is that MBC made a major production of deceptively calling "downer" cattle as being equated to BSE infected cattle. This turned the fury of protestors into a violent rampage. However, with the announcement that Korea has all along done the same of slaughtering "downer" cattle for human consumption, makes the MBC reports appear to be intentionally done to inflame the public. The government is also at fault for not releasing this data sooner to offset the negative effects of the MBC programs.)

The provincial government on Monday said about 600 of the 130,000 cattle slaughtered there every year cannot stand on their own feet. These animals show symptoms of metabolic disorders, fractures, birth defects or debility. Gyeonggi Province has so far inspected only 1,680 cattle, or 1.3 percent of all the animals slaughtered annually in the province for mad cow disease, but all downer cattle. It therefore permitted their slaughter and sale as beef.

But amid massive protests against U.S. beef imports and public confusion over the distinction between downer cows and animals infected with BSE, the province will increase the number of cattle subject to inspection for mad cow disease to 5,040 animals annually, and buy all downer cattle to process them as industrial oil and fat through high-temperature sterilizing treatment, instead of selling them as beef. An official said the Gyeonggi provincial government will inspect only six slaughterhouses this year but all 13 slaughterhouses in the province next year to enhance sanitation. (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)

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Beef prices fall but not in stores (Aug 2008) Although the farm price of hanwoo, Korean beef, has gone down considerably, consumers are not seeing lower price tags. The average price of a 600 kilogram (1,323 pound) Korean bull last December was 4.08 million won ($3,772). It had fallen 27 percent to 3.46 million in July, according to the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation yesterday.

During the same period, cow prices fell by 17 percent. Consumer prices for hanwoo galbi, or short ribs, and sirloins however, decreased by a mere 2 percent and 6 percent, respectively, during this period. GS&J, an agriculture research institute has announced similar data. The price of Korean bulls and Korean cows fell by 28.3 percent and 14.4 percent, respectively, this month, compared to the same period last year, the institute stated on Wednesday.

The average consumer price for hanwoo in July however, fell by only 5.5 percent compared to the average price during the fourth quarter of last year. The institute added that normally, if cattle prices fall 20 to 25 percent,consumers pay 13 to 16 percent less for beef. "Retailers are actually profiting the most from the resumption of U.S. beef imports," GS&J stated.

The institute said that the drastic fall in the price of Korean cattle came because farmers dumped their livestock during the first half of the year. They feared the U.S. beef import controversy would create anti-beef sentiment and cause the price of hanwoo to crash, the institute said. In the first half, hanwoo supply increased by 10 percent compared to the same period last year.

"Farmers will get their earnings only if they stop dumping their products in fear and selling them for a fraction of their value," said Kim Jae-hun, a researcher at GS&J. GS&J's report also predicted that there will not be a drastic increase of U.S. beef imports to Korea in the foreseeable future due to the public's hostility and fear of mad cow disease. They estimated that U.S. beef imports will total around 139,000 tons from this July to next June. This amounts to only 60 percent of U.S. beef imports to Korea in 2003. (Source: Joongang Ilbo.)

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The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) Stays Out of Anti-US Beef Politics

World Body Speaks on U.S. Beef Row for 1st Time (18 May 2008) The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) will not automatically revise the United States' national risk classification if a mad cow case is confirmed there, a senior official of the Paris-based body said. Deputy director general Jean-Luc Angot told South Korean correspondents on Friday that the organization is not involved in international trade and limits itself exclusively to animal health and quarantine issues. South Korea's pact with the U.S. on beef imports is based on more stringent quarantine measures than the international standards set by his organization, says Jean-Luc Angot. But he tried to distance the Paris-based body from a political controversy over Seoul's decision to resume imports of American beef. (Source: Yonhap News.)

The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has spoken for the first time on the growing controversy over U.S. beef imports in Korea. Deputy Director General Jean-Luc Angot told Korean correspondents in Paris Friday that no bovine spongiform encephalopathy was found in American cows less than 30 months old. Scientists think that if only muscles are consumed, cattle more than 30 months old are safe, he added.

He said the organization does not get involved in international and beef trade, saying the related parties should resolve the issue. "I am aware that the agreement between the two countries has more restrictive standards than the OIE set," he said. If specific risk material is removed, Angot said, the OIE sees that muscles, the meat itself, are safe whether the cows are under or over 30 months old. "The fact that the U.S. does a sample test for BSE and not the whole test does not undermine its credibility," he said. "Focused tests for high-risk cows are important."

He also refuted the allegation that Europeans only eat beef from cows under 24 months old, saying that in the case of dairy cows, Europeans eat even old ones. The OIE is the only organization that sets disinfection procedures and standards for animal diseases as authorized by the World Trade Organization. Korea and the United States are among the OIE's 172 member countries. (Source: Donga Ilbo.) (SITE NOTE: What is interesting is that the ROK is a member of the OIE but has NOT submitted its beef for a risk assessment -- but accuses others of the BSE.)

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U.S. completely bans "downer" cows (22 May 2008) Cattle too sick or injured to walk will be banned from entering U.S. slaughterhouses, the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Tuesday (U.S. Eastern Standard Time), a change that comes at a time when Korean political circles are in turmoil over the negotiation to allow U.S. beef imports into Korea. The USDA said a total ban on so-called "downer" cattle from the U.S. food supply will help ensure meat safety. The rule should be in place in a "matter of months," according to Reuters.

The Korean government is expected to publicly announce new sanitary and phytosanitary standards for U.S. beef imports later this week or early next week, allowing quarantine inspections of U.S. beef, which were suspended last October. Under current U.S. rules, slaughterhouses are banned from butchering downer cattle, but an exception is allowed if the cattle fall down after passing an initial veterinary inspection, and then are reinspected and pass the second inspection as well.

The U.S. decided to get rid of the exception after a 60-day review of conditions at the nation"s slaughterhouses, which was prompted by a recall of 68 million kilograms (142 million pounds) of beef mostly from Hallmark-Westland Meat Packing in California in February. The plant broke the law by slaughtering downer cows without the second veterinary inspection. Last year, about 2,700 of the 34 million cattle that were slaughtered in the U.S. were reinspected under the exception, according to Reuters. Just under 1,000 were approved and allowed to enter the food supply.

The USDA announcement comes at a time when Korean politicians are in turmoil over the negotiations between Korea and the U.S. in April, which resulted in an agreement to import U.S. beef with bones from cattle of any age. Some specified risk materials, which pose a greater risk of transmitting mad cow disease, are banned, depending on the age of the cattle. Safety concerns over importing all U.S. beef caused a mad cow disease scare in Korea, which led thousands of middle and high school students to take to the streets and hold candlelight vigils. When the Korean government declares the changes in SPS conditions for beef imports, quarantine inspections of U.S. beef will be resumed. (Source: Joongang Ilbo.)

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Administration Actions Futile to Stop Hysteria

U.S. Beef is Safe if SRM is Removed Says Gov't (3 May 2008) The government is refuting a popular misconception over Korea's resumption of U.S. beef imports. At a press conference held at the Foreign Ministry, which Agriculture and Forestry Minister Chung Woon-chun and Minister for Health, Welfare, and Family Affairs Kim Soung-yee attended, the government said, "The agreement over the revision of hygienic conditions on U.S. beef imports was made based on international standards and on scientific studies. It is regrettable that the beef's safety is being questioned by some without solid evidence."

The government added, "U.S. beef is consumed by many Korean tourists traveling around the U.S., not to mention Americans. There have been no confirmed cases of mad-cow disease since 1997, when the ban on animal feed was imposed in the U.S., and Americans used bone beef soup to make soup broth or steak sauce."

"Korea will only import U.S. beef processed in slaughterhouses authorized by the Korean government. U.S. federal veterinarians at slaughterhouses will do medical checkups, discern the age during slaughtering and supervise whether 'Specified Risk Material' (SRM, which are tissues where the BSE agent can accumulate) has been removed. "We should not increase social unrest by using politics," said President Lee Myung-bak said at a regular meeting with ruling Grand National Party leader Kang Jae-sup. "This issue is directly related to people's lives and the party as well as the government needs to publicize the truth to reassure citizens." At the meeting with governors of 16 cities and provinces, President Lee said, "When you look at all the situations, some are undesirable. But it is not the first opening of the beef market. It is only the resumption of beef imports. But some seem to act as if beef imports have never happened before."

Meanwhile, the Grand National Party argued, "We understand the worries over mad-cow disease. But it is undesirable to make people fear by exaggerating and repeatedly raising the issue. Some in the media and opposition parties are raising people's doubts like propaganda. Meanwhile, opposition parties, including the United Democratic Party, said they would consider proposing a special legislation to strengthen quarantine declarations of U.S. beef and a bill to dismiss Minister Chung as well as call for the immediate revision of the recent Korea-U.S. beef agreement. (Source: Donga Ilbo.)

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S. Korea seeking to create state-by-state ban on American beef: sources (4 May 2008) The South Korean government is seeking to create new quarantine rules to ban American beef state by state if a mad cow case occurs in the United States, sources said on 4 May. The move comes amid mounting public anger over the Lee Myung-bak administration's agreement with Washington last month to scrap almost all quarantine regulations against American beef.

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Korea to Reject Whole Beef Shipment if Risk Parts Found (5 May 2008) The government will return the whole shipment of imported U.S. beef if specified risk material is found in it and it is unable to determine whether the beef containing the offending parts is older than 30 months or not. Amid a national outcry over its decision to lift virtually all import restrictions for U.S. beef, the government also decided to send four teams of special inspectors to the U.S. from May 12 to inspect safety measures in factories where beef exported to Korea is being processed. The details were announced Monday by the National Veterinary Research & Quarantine Service (NVRQS) under the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

The reason for sending back the whole shipment is that the banned SRM differ according to age. For cattle less than 30 months old, only two parts -- tonsils and distal ileum -- are prohibited. However, for those older than 30 months, seven parts -- in addition skull, brain, eyes, spinal cord, and dorsal root ganglia and vertebral column -- are banned. With this decision, the South Korean government is in effect reintroducing the requirement for the U.S. to indicate the age of cattle, at least on the five SRM except e tonsils and distal ileum.

Lee Sang-kil, director of the ministry's livestock bureau, said whether the SRM came from cattle older than 30 months or not can be determined only by the U.S. "If the U.S. cannot verify this, then sending back beef with SRM is the most sensible way to deal with this," said Lee. Lee added that in new requirements for importing the U.S. beef, there is no codified regulation regarding the indication of cattle's age on SRM. Therefore, the Korean request for specifying age does not contradict the agreement and is not a matter of renegotiation, Lee explained.

Meanwhile, the ministry decided to file a counterargument to the Press Arbitration Commission against MBC's "PD Diary", a weekly documentary program it says aired false information on mad cow disease on April 29. The ministry also decided to demand a correction today. (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)

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Korea to Insist U.S. Indicates Age of Cattle: PM (9 May 2008) Prime Minister Han Seung-soo on Thursday pledged the government will ensure that the U.S. indicates the age of cattle on beef exported to Korea, and will return beef that fails to show whether animals were younger or older than 20 months old at the time of slaughter. The pledge came in a parliamentary hearing, prior to which Han issued a statement apologizing for his handling of Korea-U.S. beef negotiations and the ensuing panic. "I am sorry to have occasioned you so much anxiety over the issue," he said. (SITE NOTE: In the past, SRMs and the 30-month age limit were considered important because SRMs were looked on as health risks and most cases of mad cow disease were found in older animals. Now the scare tactics are telling the Koreans that Americans only eat cattle that is below 30-months old, while the older than 30-month old beef will be shipped to Korea.)

Han promised the government will closely observe negotiations going on between the U.S. and other countries, and if there is any development will demand amendments. "When mad cow disease, scientifically known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), breaks out in the U.S., and if it is deemed to pose a threat to the health of our citizens, we will immediately halt imports, inspect all imported beef, and send an investigative team to the U.S.," Han added. (SITE NOTE: This are strong remarks right after the US Trade Rep stated there will be NO renegotiations. What Han is stating is that they will return to the old lock-down process as before. This is going to raise a stink!!! According to the agreement, even if another outbreak of mad cow disease is found in America, U.S. beef imports could be banned only after the World Organization for Animal Health, or OIE, declares U.S. beef unsafe, an action that may take several months. The government agreed to renegotiate this point earlier in the week. But opposition parties are also demanding that beef parts more prone to mad cow disease contamination such as the brain, the spinal cord and the skull be banned from local markets unless the exporters identify the cattle's age on the labels. Older cattle born before the American food ban of certain proteins in the U.S. are thought to be more likely to harbor the misshaped prions.)

A senior Cheong Wa Dae official did not deny the purely theoretical possibility of a trade dispute according to the letter of the bilateral agreement were BSE to break out in the U.S., since this states Korea cannot halt imports until a decision from the world organization for animal health (OIE). But the official stressed that the issue of national health is "not a matter for negotiation or something that needs U.S. consent." Cheong Wa Dae is said to have notified the U.S. government of this change in policy before President Lee Myung-bak on Wednesday said Seoul would in that event unilaterally halt imports. (Source: Chosun Ilbo.) (SITE NOTE: This is NOT theoretical -- it will be a real dispute. The bottom line is that the ROK has stated that it is willing to sign the death warrant for the FTA to satisfy its short term goal of appeasing the rising anti-Americanism. His comment was in line with Agriculture Minister Chung"s remark a day earlier that he would risk a trade dispute with U.S. in order to immediately ban the U.S. beef imports upon a possible disease outbreak in the country. The Deputy Trade Minister also reaffirmed that Seoul is ready to call for a revision in the agreement with Washington, citing a rule of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, allowing nations to impose stronger requirements on imported goods when taking such a measure is "necessary to protect human, animal, or plant health."Such rules stated are intrinsically based on all bilateral agreements. So even if the rules are not directly stated in the agreement, both parties have the right to adopt the rules," he said in a briefing. The government's recently changed stance could provoke some U.S. lawmakers who have complained about the trade deal." (Source: Joongang Ilbo.))

President Lee Myung-bak on Thursday sought to calm the roiling debate over the resumption of U.S. beef imports, saying there was no ground for concerns that U.S. beef was unsafe because of mad cow disease, and offering to prove his point by eating some. "What country would import beef that is a threat to its own people's health? Could the U.S. force us to eat it (if was unsafe)? Would our people buy it?" he said. "Importers would never import such beef if they thought nobody would buy it. Nobody would import beef if it posed a threat to the public." (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)

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"We're at risk when we're older than 30 months," says a cow, talking about being a potential health risk for humans because of mad cow disease. "But you're at risk after just two months," he goes on to say, talking about President Lee Myung-bak's shockingly low approval ratings after just two months in office.

Experts Stress Safety of SRM-free Cattle (9 May 2008) As the public's apprehension over the possible health risks from U.S. beef has no signs of abating and even groundless "mad cow scare stories" are spreading since the government's announcement to resume U.S. beef imports, experts in medical and scientific circles are stepping forward to officially express their opinions in an attempt to dispel unsubstantiated fears. "Since the ban on animal feed, the cases of mad cow disease have drastically dropped worldwide, and the disease is anticipated to disappear in five years," said Lee Yeong-soon, a veterinary professor at Seoul National University, on Thursday while speaking at a conference in Korea Press Center in Seoul on mad cow disease, sponsored by the Korean Academy of Science and Technology. (SITE NOTE: Earlier on 8 May, Minister Han Seung-soo denounced some media outlets ``scaremongers'' spreading unverified content on the controversial issue, and the government will take stern and severe legal action against them at an interpellation hearing. There are some very catchy ads spreading on the internet about the mad-cow disease controversy. The ads are internet based and aimed at middle-school/high school students with the intent of turning the controversy into another 2002 anti-US hate fest. The government is starting to panic. The JoongAng Ilbo reports that Hallim University Medical School dean Kim Yong-seon, whose thesis claiming that Koreans were particularly at risk of contracting Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease sparked the whole US beef import uproar, has told friends that media reports have exaggerated his findings, and politicians are misusing them for political gain. Kim has enjoyed and continues to enjoy eating US beef, both when he was researching Mad Cow Disease in the United States and now. Given this, Yun said, you could probably guess what the professor personally thought about US beef.)

"Some 99.87 percent of abnormal proteinaceous particles called prions, which are deemed a main cause of mad cow disease, are found in specified risk materials (SRMs) such as the cattle's brain, spine and intestines. The cow removed of those specific parts are considered safe," explained Lee. "Human mad cow disease is not the one spreads through breath, skin contact and saliva. The massive intake of prions only leads to the disease," he emphasized.

Woo Hee-jong, also a professor of veterinary at Seoul National University, who attended the conference as a panelist, echoed Lee's opinion by saying, "In general situations, SRM-removed beef doesn't pose any health risk." But he raised suspicions over the argument that cattle under 30 months are all safe, saying, "Germany reported that mad cow disease was discovered in a 28-month-old cow. In Europe, those cows aged 24 months and over are screened for the disease before being slaughtered."

Separately, 10 scientists affiliated with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), including the nation's leading scientist Shin Hee-seop, head of the Neuroscience Center at the KIST, held a press conference on the same day at the institute and refuted the claim that Koreans are inherently vulnerable to the human form of mad cow disease. "The controversy over Koreans' genetic susceptibility to human mad cow disease started from the thesis of Hallim University professor Kim Yong-seon. But Kim's study was not about Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), commonly known as human mad cow disease, but about sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD)," Shin emphasized. He also added that Japan's research results showed that Met-Met genotype, which many Koreans have, do not raise the risks of being infected with sCJD. "We cannot conclude that one is predisposed to a disease because he or she has a certain gene." Yu Myeong-hee, technology development director at Proteomics, tried to allay the fear over the disease, saying, "The conclusion that those people with Met-Met genotype are vulnerable to vCJD was derived from a research conducted on Britons. Except in Britain, there is no data based on which we can draw any statistical conclusion." People at age 60 and older develop sCJD which is caused by protein variations called prions. But sCJD has nothing to do with mad cow disease, according to the scientists. (Source: Donga Ilbo.) (SITE NOTE: Cheong Wa Dae accused the MBC "PD Note" program of ``agitating people with biased reports on U.S. beef imports and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy,'' better known as mad cow disease, and said it is poised to sue the media outlet. An official from Cheong Wa Dae said it is determined to hold a hard-line stance against an April 29 edition of ``PD Note,'' an in-depth documentary by MBC, under the title of ``Urgent Report: Is American Beef Safe From Mad Cow Disease?'' The edition triggered a nationwide controversy after being broadcast, as it dealt with issues like researches saying almost 95 percent of the whole Korean people have genes vulnerable to the brain-wasting disease, as well as a clip of an infected cow struggling at a U.S. abattoir. This has been refuted.)

Opposition vows to block FTA unless beef deal reconsidered (11 May 2008) South Korean opposition parties vowed Sunday to refuse to endorse a free trade deal between Seoul and Washington unless a recent beef deal between the two sides is reworked to address fears of mad cow disease. The effort, led by the United Democratic Party (UDP) and other minor parties, is expected to last until late May when the current parliament's four-year term expires. The next National Assembly will be dominated by the ruling Grand National Party (GNP), which secured a simple majority in the single 299-member house in the April 9 elections.

Debate has been raging in South Korea since last month when the new conservative government agreed with Washington to fully open the country's market to American beef starting Thursday. The deal, struck ahead of President Lee Myung-bak's summit with U.S. President George W. Bush, has been denounced by tens of thousands of South Koreans at rallies across the country since early this month. Opponents argue Lee, who took power in February, overlooked fears of mad cow disease as he tried to prod the U.S. Congress to ratify the free trade agreement (FTA), which requires approval by both legislatures to take effect. Lee and his ruling party deny the claim. (Source: Yonhap News.)

S. Korean gov't misunderstood animal feed rules (11 May 2008) The South Korean government's misinterpretation of the U.S. government's rules on animal feed led to a general misunderstanding about the beef agreement between the two countries. Although the U.S. government proposed rules on animal feed that were more lenient with regard to the material that could be used to make the feed, the South Korean government misunderstood the regulation as being tougher on animal feed and lifted the age limit on imports of American meat, allowing imports of meat from cows of any age.

On May 11, Lee Sang-gil, the director of the South Korean Agriculture Ministry's livestock bureau, said, "It was a mistake because we misinterpreted an English-language press release distributed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration." Lee's remark was made in response to growing criticism that the South Korean government misunderstood certain facts about the U.S. government's "strengthened regulations on animal feed" because of errors in translation. This shows that the South Korean government misunderstood the facts when it announced a revision of quarantine inspection rules after the U.S. beef import agreement was made. In light of this, support is growing for the South Korean government to delay its planned resumption of U.S. beef imports on May 15 and renegotiate the quarantine inspection rules with the U.S. government. (SITE NOTE: Let's see, in 2005, the US said it was going to prevent SRM from being used in animal feed, but in Apr 2008, it passed legislation to use the entire cow unfit for human consumption in animal feed. But the ROK now claims it didn't understand this and therefore has the right to renegotiate the entire deal. GET REAL!!! These were supposed to be experts negotiating not rank amateurs straight off the street.)

In 2005, the U.S. government announced its intention to revise its rules on animal feed. The proposal was that beef from cattle of any age that was unfit for human consumption could not be used in animal feed unless the brains and spinal cords, which are far more likely to be infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, were removed first. However, an article in a U.S. government federal newsletter dated April 25, 2008, reported that entire carcasses from cows less than 30 months of age, including brains and spinal cords, would be cleared for use in animal feed, even if they were determined to be unfit for human consumption. Therefore, regulations on animal feed that were made after the agreement on U.S. beef was reached on on April 18 were seen as being more lenient than the ones proposed in 2005.

The South Korean government's misreading of the U.S. government's animal feed regulations has led it to pass on the misinformation on to the South Korean public. In a press release dated May 2, titled "Question-and-answer materials on the safety of U.S. beef," the South Korean government said the tightened U.S. regulation would even ban cattle less than 30 months old that is unfit for human consumption from being used as feed for pigs and other animals. Although the U.S. government said it would allow cattle parts that are unfit for human consumption to be used in animal feed, the South Korean government interpreted the term incorrectly and announced a quarantine inspection rule on all cuts of U.S. beef from animals of more than 30 months of age.

While the South Korean government has admitted its mistake, it has been reluctant to file a complaint with the U.S. government or demand renegotiation of the agreement between the two countries. Lee said, "Our conclusion is that we can't file a complaint or demand renegotiation (of the deal) because our side had made no clear demands about the details of the new regulation on animal feed in the process of the negotiations with the U.S. Though the content is slightly different, there will be no problems with the new regulation because brains and spinal cords from cattle of less than 30 months of age aren't special risk materials thought to cause mad cow disease." Meanwhile, the civic group Lawyers for a Democratic Society said in a press conference held the same day, "If the U.S. government agreed with our government to issue strengthened regulations on animal feed, and then issued a different statement in its federal newsletter, the U.S. will have committed fraud. Therefore the South Korean government should be able to scrap the agreement on U.S. beef imports." (Source: Hankyoreh News.)

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Seoul set to delay circulating U.S. beef amid massive protests (14 May 2008) The South Korean government is considering delaying the sale of U.S. beef imports here amid growing demands by legislators and civic organizations that it nullify its agreement with Washington to open its beef market to U.S. producers. Speaking before a parliament hearing, Agriculture Minister Chung Woon-chun on 14 May said the government is considering a seven to 10-day delay (21-24 May) in posting the official notification of new sanitary and phytosanitary conditions for beef imports, a move that would immediately be followed by the circulation of some 5,000 tons of U.S. beef already here. The government was earlier set to post the official notification on 15 May. (Source: Yonhap News.) (SITE NOTE: US will probably go along with this action -- it is a delay and NOT a return to the stoppage policies of the past. The agreed minutes and import conditions, the documents of the matters agreed between Korea and the U.S. on April 11-18, specify no date for Korea's enactment of the sanitary rules to start the sale of U.S. beef imports in Korea. In a statement on May 12, U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab said, ``The GATT and the WTO SPS Agreement preserve each country's sovereignty so that every government can ensure the safety of its citizens, and that includes food safety.'' But Schwab did not comment on the SPS measures in her supplementary statement: ``The United States recognizes that Article 20 of the GATT preserves Korea's right to take measures necessary to protect public health, so long as the requirements of that article are met.'' Unlike the unclear GATT stipulation, the SPS paragraph clarifies that ``members shall seek to obtain the additional information necessary for a more objective assessment of risk and review the SPS measures accordingly within a reasonable period of time.'' Though some professors are stating that ``Instead of highlighting paragraph (b) of Article XX of the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs on Trade) 1947, the government should have informed the people of the paragraph 7 of Article 5 of the WTO SPS Measures.'' They claim the paragraph stipulates that in cases where relevant ``scientific evidence is insufficient,'' a member may provisionally adopt sanitary or phytosanitary measures on the basis of available pertinent information.)

The government reiterated that it can neither revise the bilateral beef deal nor conduct renegotiations. A GNP lawmaker suggested holding talks with the U.S. on ways to effectively delay American beef imports for a certain period of time while regulating imports of American beef from cattle older than 30 months. But Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan replied, "We've exchanged views with the U.S. on that issue informally. But currently it seems impossible to do that." (SITE NOTE: April's agreement allows most U.S. beef cuts, including ribs, T-bone steaks and intestines (tripe), to be imported. In addition, South Korea has effectively agreed to lift the restriction on the age of cattle that can be butchered for meat -- meaning it agreed to cattle over 30-months (though it is waffling saying it "misinterpreted" the FDA statements).)

Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Chung Woon-chun, in a hearing on the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement organized by the National Assembly's Unification, Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee on 14 May, said the government has received 334 petitions from citizens and civic groups calling for a revision of the sanitary rules on American beef imports. "It's impossible to proclaim the new sanitary rules on Thursday as scheduled" as the government needs time to review the petitions, he added. "It will take seven to 10 days to review the petitions. During this period, we'll recheck domestic quarantine inspection system for imported beef, as well as reviewing an interim report to be submitted by a fact-finding team that is currently checking cattle slaughter and processing facilities in the U.S." An official said the government will probably enact the new rules on May 26, considering that the fact-finding mission is expected to return on May 25. "Delay in the enactment of the sanitary rules is not a violation of the Korea-U.S. deal," he added. (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)

The U.S. Trade Representative on 14 May said it was disappointing to see Korea temporarily delay the implementation of a beef import deal reached on April 18, but added it understands that the Korean government needs time to review public comments. Meanwhile, U.S. National Cattlemen's Beef Association economist Gregg Doud said discussions with a team of Korean inspectors now in the U.S. "went well and so this whole thing comes as quite a surprise." In a statement, Max Baucus, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, urged Korea to resume beef imports as early as possible, saying, "I respect Korea's political process but there's no legitimate reason to delay importation of U.S. beef any longer." (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)

U.S. chides Seoul for beef backslide (16 May 2008) U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez had some tough words for the Korean government after its decision to delay resumption of American beef imports. ``It is unfortunate,'' he said, pointing out that it was Seoul that failed to live up to its side of the beef bargain. "We believe that it is important to stick to agreements once they have been reached," he said during a speech on 16 May in Seoul. Quarantine inspections of U.S. beef were set to resume on May 15, according to a deal signed by both countries last month. But Korea postponed the move by up to 10 days due to public concern over mad cow disease. "American beef is safe and our standards are second to none," Gutierrez said. "Koreans will have the same beef that we feed our children in the U.S." Meanwhile, President Lee Myung-bak expressed concern over the delay during a meeting with the Gutierrez. "Koreans are extremely concerned about food safety," Lee said, asking for the U.S. government's help in quelling fears about the safety of U.S. beef. "President Bush is strongly committed to securing the Korea-U.S. FTA this year," Gutierrez said. "This will be the biggest trade deal for us [the U.S.] in almost 15 years," he added. (Source: Joongang Ilbo.)

On 17 May Gutierrez ruled out the possibility of revising a bilateral pact lifting an import ban on American beef, saying that it was ``unfortunate'' Seoul had delayed its market-opening date. ``We don't believe the agreement needs to be negotiated depending on GATT (General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs) or other international pacts,'' Gutierrez said.

Gov't to announce additional beef negotiation results: lawmaker (May 2008) The South Korean government will soon announce the results of additional negotiations with Washington on a bilateral pact to reopen the country's market to U.S. beef, a lawmaker said on 19 May. Seoul and Washington have been discussing the inclusion in the accord of South Korea's right to conduct an audit of U.S. bovine facilities and to work with its agricultural inspection authorities if any food safety concerns are identified in U.S. beef. (SITE NOTE: Note the use of the ROK gov't phrase of "negotiating" while it is only in the "informal discussion" stage.)

"Government officials said there has been progress in the additional negotiations with the United States. The result is expected to come out today," Kim Won-woong, head of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, told Yonhap. "We are waiting to see whether the government has managed to get Washington's approval on our sovereign right to conduct inspections of U.S. beef (facilities)." The Foreign Ministry was expected to announce the result 2 p.m. on 19 May.

The additional discussion comes amid growing local concerns over the safety of U.S. beef, with tens of thousands of citizens taking to the streets to demand nullification of the April 18 accord and renegotiation with Washington. Under the bilateral agreement, Seoul can only suspend imports if the World Organization for Animal Health downgrades the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) classification of the U.S. following an outbreak of the disease. The U.S. is currently classified as a BSE risk-controlled country. But enforcing the measure requires agreement from Washington as U.S. exporters are currently only required to specify the animal's age for backbone cuts.

Kim added that the committee would make a decision on whether to vote on a motion to ratify a Seoul-Washington free trade agreement (FTA) after the government's announces the beef negotiation results. The ruling Grand National Party has been striving to ratify the FTA within the term of the current National Assembly, which ends late this month, to give impetus to the economic initiatives of the new government launched in February. But opposition parties have opposed early ratification of the FTA and are determined to link the issue with the beef deal. (Source: Yonhap News.)

S. Korea, U.S. continue consultations on beef: envoy (19 May 2008) South Korea and the United States are continuing consultations on the controversial issue of beef trade, with public protests here over a related deal showing no signs of abating, the top U.S. envoy here said on 19 May. "We have been continuing consultations with the aim of clearing up some misunderstandings in Korea about the agreement that was reached last month," Ambassador Alexander Vershbow told Yonhap News Agency after his lecture at a Seoul college. He cited misinterpretation of regulations regarding specified risk materials (SRMs), saying the criteria that apply for domestic production also apply for all exports. His comments followed reports that Seoul and Washington have agreed in principle to guarantee Seoul's quarantine sovereignty in written form. South Korean trade officials plan to announce the measure later this week, an apparent bid to cool down public fury over the beef deal that was sealed on the eve of the Camp David summit between the presidents of the two nations last month.

Critics have argued that the hastily-signed agreement lacks proper measures for South Korea to stave off dangers of mad cow disease. Especially, the deal does not allow Seoul to halt American beef imports even if the fatal disease is found again. Vershbow declined to talk about whether there will be any additional agreement on beefing up Seoul's quarantine sovereignty. "The agreement itself stands as it is," he said. "But we are trying to provide clarifications of some issues that have raised concerns in Korea. There was some letters exchanged just to explain these clarifications ...No new negotiations." He reiterated the official stance of U.S. trade authorities that South Korea has a way to take steps to protect public health despite the bilateral trade agreement.

"The GATT and the WTO SPS Agreement preserve each country's sovereignty so that every government can ensure the safety of its citizens, and that includes food safety," Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab said earlier in a statement. "The United States recognizes that Article XX of the GATT preserves Korea's right to take measures necessary to protect public health, so long as the requirements of that article are met." Many trade experts here raise doubts over the feasibility, however, citing the rarity of the stipulations being actually applied to override a bilateral deal. Vershbow also apportioned some blame to former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, who he claimed broke his earlier promise on American beef imports, joining a political controversy here. During his 90-minute lecture at Sungshin Women's University, the U.S. ambassador said Roh broke his promise on importing U.S. beef. Roh pledged to reopen the beef market "on the basis of the scientific guidelines of the World Organization for Animal Health or the OIE," Vershbow said. He stressed again that the OIE certified a year ago that there is no risk of mad cow disease in US beef. "Unfortunately after his party was defeated in the December presidential election, President Roh decided not to fulfill his promise and follow the science," Vershbow said.

President Lee and his aides claims that the decision to resume U.S. beef imports was originally attributable to Roh, once supported by many critics of the troubled beef trade pact. Vershbow sought to calm controversy over the neutrality of the OIE, saying "its work is guided by science. It is not an American-dominated organization." He stressed that the beef agreement is a main vehicle for the viability of the free trade agreement between South Korea and the U.S. which is now pending legislative approval.

Citing media skepticism over the U.S. ratification of the FTA in the election year, he said the Bush administration is committed to persuading the Congress and winning approval. "We worked too hard and too long to lose this historic opportunity," he said. Vershbow faced a barrage of questions from students on the beef issue, reflecting public interest in it. He responded with wit, "As you can see, as a diplomat, I have to study a lot about American beef," In a related move, the South Korean leader plans to soon meet with the leaders of opposition parties to ask for cooperation in the ratification of the FTA. No date has been announced yet. (Source: Yonhap News.)

Korea, U.S. Agree New Beef Import Conditions (20 May 2008) The U.S. has agreed that Korea can suspend beef imports if mad cow disease should occur in America. A Trade Ministry official on Monday said the two have been holding talks since last weekend to resolve the issue, which has been subject to massive protests in Korea. He claimed the talks were “not a renegotiation but follow-up talks on resolving the thorny issue." (SITE NOTE: Notice the word "suspend" -- NOT "ban" which the activists want. Some newspapers (ie, Joongang Ilbo) are stating that Korea will "ban" US meat if an outbreak occurs which is incorrect. Also note that this was a "consultation" -- NOT a "renegotiation" which is impossible. Later the Hankyoreh News stated, "There were no statements in the letter saying that South Korea can halt imports of U.S. beef if a new case of mad cow disease is discovered in the United States. As Schwab stated on May 12, after a public statement on the issue was made by South Korean Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, “All WTO members are also protected under these provisions with the knowledge they will be used with care and that any food safety actions will be based on science.” This suggests that South Korea would not be able to ban U.S. beef imports, even if a case of mad cow disease were found, if Seoul were unable to provide scientific evidence of the spread of the brain-wasting illness." (Source: Hankyoreh News.) )

They were led by Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon from Korea and USTR Ambassador Susan Schwab. The two countries reportedly agreed in a separate instrument to make it possible for Korea to suspend U.S. beef imports, without having to revise provisions in the original treaty that bans Korea from suspending beef imports even if BSE should occur in the U.S. until the world organization for animal health (OIE) re-categorizes the country.

The two countries agreed to adopt a "diplomatic letter" to conclude the latest talks. They also agreed to add transverse processes and spinous processes of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae -- beef parts that are defined as specified risk materials for BSE by the U.S. domestic standards but excluded from the original treaty -- under the category. (SITE NOTE: This is Horse-puckey. The "ransverse processes and spinous processes of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae" were NEVER unlisted. The Joongang Ilbo stated, "These parts, including the cervical vertebral, thoracic vertebrae and lumbar vertebrae of cattle older than 30 months, are banned for sale as food in the United States as they are still considered SRMs." This also Horse Puckey. We have found nothing in the USDA Food Safety documents on the web that state this. In fact, they are EXCLUDED in the 2007 Final Report. There were always listed as being EXCLUDED as SRM materials not only by the USDA -- but also by England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and every other nation that published Food Standards in ENGLISH for years. The bottomline is that the ROK government wants to look like it "negotiated" something that was never a problem in the first place. They just want the furor to go away. )

The government will now promulgate sanitary conditions for U.S. beef imports, including the additional agreement. This may happen as early as Friday after consultations with government agencies concerned, a ministry official said. (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)

Gov't tries to end U.S. beef row with addendum to import pact (20 May 2008) The government hopes that an addendum to last month's revised sanitation import rules will end the ongoing domestic row over U.S. beef safety, a senior trade official said on 20 May. The single-page letter signed by South Korea's Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Susan Schwab better defines Seoul's quarantine rights and clarifies uncertainties about the import of specified risk materials (SRMs) that can transmit mad cow disease.

Reactions to U.S. beef letter divided along party lines (May 2008) South Korea's ruling and opposition parties had mixed responses to an additional agreement made with the United States on the planned resumption of American beef imports. The ruling Grand National Party seems to see it as a good deal, saying the government "earned what it gained in renegotiations."

In sharp contrast, opposition parties such as the United Democratic Party, the Liberty Forward Party and the Democratic Labor Party denounced it as a "deceptive tactic used to soothe the public anger." The South Korean government announced on May 20 that it had signed a letter with the United States that clarifies some of the provisions of the original agreement, which was signed on April 18. In a commentary on May 20, GNP spokeswoman Cho Yoon-sun said, "It's a very unusual and unprecedented measure, because the additional agreement clarifies that an immediate import ban will be implemented if an outbreak of mad cow disease is discovered and bans certain animal parts, including specified risk materials thought to cause mad cow disease." The South Korean government "earned what it gained in renegotiations" with the United States, Cho said, adding that the GNP "hopes the government's announcement will become a turning point for approval of the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement." The KORUS FTA, which was signed last year, is awaiting ratification by both countries' legislatures. President Lee Myung-bak is hoping to pass a bill to ratify the agreement before the close of the current National Assembly session on May 29.

Cha Young, a spokeswoman for the main opposition UDP, criticized the government for drawing up a "stopgap measure without addressing public concerns. We can't help but become angry, beyond being disappointed, about the attitude of the government and the ruling party as they falsely state that they have clarified the right to protect (South Korea's) quarantine sovereignty, even though they failed to change a single word of the agreement," Cha said. "They will spark more public anger as they try to read the minds of the U.S., without reflecting on the calls of the people," adding that "people will not accept anything other than renegotiation" of the agreement.

Park Sun-young, a spokeswoman for the Liberty Forward Party said, "If the government were to decide to halt imports of U.S. beef, the government would have the responsibility of proving that the measure is essential to protecting the people's health. That's realistically impossible. It's very disappointing that the letter (signed by the U.S. and South Korea) has failed to allow the South Korean government retain its right to protect its quarantine sovereignty and may cause other problems, including a trade dispute." International trade regulations give a country the right to ban imports in order to protect the health of its citizens as long as there that country provides scientific evidence to support its claims.

The DLP declared an out-of-parliament battle. DLP Chairman Chun Young-se said, "The government of President Lee Myung-bak has deceived and ridiculed people by ignoring their calls (to renegotiate the agreement). The DLP, along with all of its members, will wage an intense out-of-parliament battle." He continued by saying that the South Korean government failed to revise the "shameful provisions that will allow it to import beef from cattle older than 30 months of age. With the failure to revise the formal agreement, the exchange of letters is not binding under international law." (Source: Hankyoreh News.)

U.S. beef imports to resume over the weekend (21 May 2008) Despite growing criticism that the South Korean government's "additional agreement" with the United States failed to ease fears about the safety of American beef and protect Seoul's quarantine sovereignty, the South's Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries plans to issue a public notice of the new sanitary conditions between May 23 and 26 to resume imports of U.S. beef.

On May 21, an Agriculture Ministry official said, "We have been in consultation with the Trade Ministry to reflect the additional agreement in the new import quarantine rules. As scheduled, public announcement of new sanitary conditions will be made this weekend or early next week." He added, "We plan to send individual responses to 334 opinions from the general public (submitted about the U.S. beef import agreement), but are undecided on whether to reflect the opinions in the public announcement."

However, it was uncertain whether the ministry would go ahead with making the public announcement if a motion to dismiss Agriculture Minister Chung Woon-chun, submitted by the three opposition parties, the United Democratic Party, the Liberty Forward Party and the Democratic Labor Party, is passed during the National Assembly's regular session on May 22-23. (SITE NOTE: The motion failed in the National Assembly by 8 votes because many UDP members -- especially those who had lost their seats -- did not show up.)

Along with this, a move to thwart shipments of U.S. beef was gaining momentum. On the same day, the Korean Transport Workers' Union held demonstrations at several cargo terminals in Busan, where tons of frozen U.S. beef are in reserve, and at a tollgate in Giheung, Gyeonggi Province, to persuade people to join the movement. The umbrella union of truckers distributed some 20,000 leaflets that read "Let's make contact with the union when a cargo truck believed to be carrying U.S. beef is found." (SITE NOTE: These are the truckers who burned "scab" truckers and scattered nails on the road in the last strike. The concern is that they may resort to violence.)

Union members also held one-on-one meetings with truckers to persuade them to refuse shipments of U.S. beef. "If U.S. beef is sent for shipment after the government's public announcement is made, we plan to block (the shipments) with physical force," said a union official. On the day before the public announcement, union members in South Gyeongsang Province plan to hold an overnight protest at the cargo terminals.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, one of the nation's two largest umbrella labor groups, also plans to block shipments of U.S. beef in alliance with the truckers' union and other industrial unions. In the meantime, a nationwide coalition of civic groups against the resumption of U.S. beef imports, called the "People's Countermeasure Council against Full Imports of U.S. Beef," will hold its 15th candlelight protest at of 7:00 p.m. on May 22 at Seoul's Cheonggyecheon Plaza and other sites. Some 10,000 members of the National Alliance of Poor People and the Korea Peasants League also plan to join the candlelight protest after holding separate demonstrations at Seoul's Gwanghwamun and on Yeouido. (Source: Hankyoreh News.) (SITE NOTE: The hope of the LMB administration is that it will rain on May 22-23. The progressives moves are very predictable -- now that the children have left the scene. Now they are coming out of the woodwork like vermin -- and now they are showing their faces. We hope the KNP is paying attention to these groups as they are definitely illegal -- and the candlelight vigils are now 100% political.)

U.S. envoy creates political controversy over beef -- NOT... (21 May 2008) The top U.S. envoy here stepped into a political controversy over the safety of U.S. beef imports on 21 May, when an opposition party leader revealed the content their phone talks on the matter. Alexander Vershbhow phoned Sohn Hak-kyu, chairman of the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), to lodge a complaint against Sohn's demand that Seoul import U.S. beef from cattle younger than 30 months, according to the party's spokesperson. According to the UDP, while an American envoy can formally solicit cooperation it's highly unusual and disappointing to call the head of the political party to ``protest,'' Spokeswoman Cha said. Her party has asked the U.S. Embassy for an explanation. No immediate comment was available from the embassy. (Yonhap News)

On 21 May, Vershbow expressed a desire for private talks with Korean politicians, adding his telephone conversation with Sohn had been one such private conversation. He added it was “surprising” to see a political party make the content of such private talks public. (SITE NOTE: We see nothing wrong with what Ambassador Vershbow did in confronting the UDP leader on his position in PRIVATE -- as he should. That's his job -- though the UDP may not like being confronted by the US representative. Reading between the lines, the UDP action indicates they've just about lost the war on boneless beef. The candlelight vigils were fading because of rainy weather and flagging enthusiasm. Thus the non-political rallies which were really political rallies have fizzled and now the true nature has come out. On 29 May the UDP will officially be out of power when the National Assembly closes and on 1 June the GNP takes over. By the UDP making it a political fight over the FTA, the pressure will be taken off LMB and the boneless beef issue -- and focused on the ROKUS FTA which is what it was all about in the first place.)

Lee Says Sorry for U.S. Beef Furor (23 May 2008) President Lee Myung-bak apologized to the Korean people on Thursday, the 87th day of his presidency, taking responsibility for a public outcry over the resumption of U.S. beef imports. The president pleaded for cooperation from the people and the opposition parties in ratifying the free trade agreement between Korea and the U.S.

In a televised press conference at Cheog Wa Dae, Lee said he had been "negligent in gauging public opinion on the reopening of the Korean market to the U.S. beef, and fully accept such criticisms." He apologized for the government's failure to seek understanding from the people first. "Rumors about mad cow diseases baffled me, and my heart hurt to see young students gathering to join in candlelight vigils in the Cheonggye Plaza, the very place I so enthusiastically restored." Lee restored the Cheonggye Stream during his tenure as Seoul mayor. "The health of our citizens cannot be traded for anything," Lee said, adding assurances that beef the U.S. exports is the same as the meat Americans eat at their dinner tables. Lee pointed out that Korea has secured the right immediately to halt imports should occasion threaten the health of Koreans. "It's all my fault," Lee said, referring to errors made during the first three months of his administration. He promised to "approach people with more humility."

Lee vowed to devote himself to reviving Korean economy. "While the world economy saw unprecedented growth in last 10 years, the Korean economy failed to swim with the tide, and the gap between Korea and advanced countries widened," he said. "We are at a critical juncture in our history." He pleaded with all political parties to cooperate in ratifying the Korea-U.S. FTA.

The following is the full text of President Lee Myung-bak's statement in a live TV broadcast at Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday to address the resumption of U.S. beef imports and ratification of the Korea-U.S. FTA./Courtesy of the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOIS)

It has been almost three months since I was inaugurated as President. During that period, I have been working hard to live up to the aspirations of the entire Korean people with the idea that, “The economy must be revived without fail.” I have been striving all along with the sheer determination that I would lose no time in making Korea an advanced country we can all be proud of and one where ordinary citizens will be better off.

I understand, however, that many people are now concerned about the way the new Administration is dealing with state affairs. The Government has been intent on devising measures to support cattle farms that are likely to suffer difficulties because of the resumption of U.S. beef imports. But, to be honest, the Government was baffled by the spread of unfounded rumors about mad cow disease. Among other things, my heart ached when I saw even young students come out to stage candlelight vigils at the very Cheonggyecheon Plaza, which I worked with all my heart, mind and soul to restore. Their parents must have worried so much about them.

I admit that the Government has been lacking in efforts to sound out public opinion and try to seek people's understanding. I also humbly accept the criticism that I have been negligent in carefully reading the public's mind. I very much regret all this.

Distinguished citizens,

The Government has an unwavering policy in place. Public health can never be compromised under any circumstance. After additional consultations with the U.S. Government, the Korean Government was able to secure a document that guarantees that the safety of beef to be imported will be in compliance with international standards and that the quality of beef will be the same as that consumed by Americans. It is also stipulated in the document that the Korean Government will take sovereign measures to halt beef imports immediately if any situation endangering public health occurs. Taking this opportunity, the Government will work out all possible measures to enhance food safety to the level of advanced countries.

Over the past 10 years, the global economy has enjoyed an unprecedented boom, but Korea has failed to go with the current of the times. Consequently, some competing countries are coming up right behind us, and the gaps with the advanced countries are growing wider. Now, we are at a critical juncture. If we now fail to join the ranks of advanced countries, we might never have another chance. Korea now stands at a crossroads of historical significance?whether it can rise to the rank of advanced countries or not.

Today, the global economy is faced with the biggest crisis since the oil shock of the 1970s. The price of oil, food and raw materials is skyrocketing. To make matters worse, the price hikes are coupled with the U.S. financial crisis. Soaring commodity prices and unemployment are weighing heavily on many people of the world. We are not an exception to this global phenomenon. Now is high time for us to strengthen the economic fundamentals of our country and make watertight preparations to turn this crisis into an opportunity as early as possible.

More than 70 percent of the Korean economy depends on foreign trade. The Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement no doubt constitutes a new way out for the Korean economy. The accord will help increase exports and foreign investment as well as national income. First and foremost, the KORUS FTA will create over 300,000 new jobs. We cannot afford to miss this opportunity for the desperate young job seekers in particular.

We need to secure better trade conditions than our competitors in the United States, the biggest market in the world. And the KORUS FTA is the answer. Of course, some sectors like agriculture are likely to undergo difficulties. For them, the Government has already prepared comprehensive support measures. If necessary, we will work out other follow-up measures.

The KORUS FTA is a very valuable fruit that the previous Administration and the incumbent 17th National Assembly achieved overcoming various difficulties. It represents a national task that the Korean people reached a consensus on, as they believed it was required more than anything else for the country to have a new growth engine.

The United States may be able to ratify it and readily make it into law, but Korea has to pass 24 different pieces of legislation as follow-up measures. That is why the country has to move more expeditiously than the United States. The 17th National Assembly has already deliberated on the FTA 59 times. There have also been a number of public and parliamentary hearings.

That is why I requested the National Assembly to convene the current May session. I appreciate the fact that the ruling and opposition members of the incumbent National Assembly opened the session at the end of its term in an extraordinary manner. As the current session will soon expire, however, I earnestly urge the legislature to transcend partisan differences and make a resolute determination for the enhancement of the standard of living and in the national interest. When the 17th National Assembly ratifies the KORUS FTA in a bipartisan consensus, it will be recorded as a great accomplishment in Korean political history.

My fellow citizens,

The Government will promise to be more humble in approaching the needs of the people. I take responsibility for all the deficiencies that the Administration has incurred in its initial months. On this occasion, the Administration and I pledge to go about doing business in a more careful manner and see to it that the economy will make a turn-around and create more jobs.

Let us all get united as one and march together. When we join forces, we can overcome hardships more quickly than any other country. Let us have confidence that we can certainly tide over any type of difficulties and build up an advanced leading nation. Let us all join hands and forge ahead to construct a prosperous nation, compassionate society and strong Republic. We can do it without fail.

Thank you very much.

(Source:Chosun Ilbo.)

(SITE NOTE: This announcement on 29 May will cause the progressives -- meaning the radical elements -- to change their strategies. They were previously trying to get the ROK to renegotiate -- which was impossible -- in order to kill the FTA. The idea of blocking the shipments may be short term measures -- but the last time the market opened up in April 2007, the US beef was sold out in days. Protests don't mean a thing to cost-conscious housewives. Thus the progressives will either resort to (1) violence in the streets -- calling it a fight against the LMB "dictatorship" or some such other nonsense and hope the hysteria will spread to the populace like it did in the June 2002 period. The real reason will be to render the LMB administration ineffective. Chances of it succeeding are marginal with the change in the populace more to the conservative tilt, but one never knows with the volatile ROK public. Heck, the ROK was willing to swallow all the Mad Cow lies wholesale so this may be a possibility. -- OR (2) to continue the protest to attempt to block the FTA in the National Assembly, but this may not be possible as the GNP and other conservatives have a majority for the new National Assembly to start on 1 June. OR (3) go underground. Currently Yoon Gi-jin is on trial and the LMB administration seems to be zeroing in on the progressive organizations. The KTEW union folks are presently in the North coordinating with their counterparts to figure out what to do next. The KCTU is getting ready to paralyze the commerce. The Hanchongryeon are getting ready to take to the streets. My thinking is they will put up one hell of a fight to test the waters and if they don't get the support of the populace -- and then they will go underground. We'll see... UPDATE: (18 Jun) The first two of my warnings have become reality and now the public seems to be leaving the protests that have become politicized. It is yet to be seen if (3) go underground will become reality.)

Candlelight Protests. Mob Violence or Genuine Protest?

June 8, 2008 – 9:40 am | Posted by mins0306

One of the most talked about subjects in the Hole right now is, you guessed it, the importation of US beef and the subsequent protests that followed. From reading the comments here, one gets the idea that the commentators whether they be expat or kyopo have more or less concluded that the protestors are an ignorant mob being fueled by left-wing rhetoric and being goaded to attack LMB at his secure compound behind and above Kyungbok-goong. This is also what the Chojoongdong(Chosun, Joongang, Dong-A dailies) wants the average Korean like me to believe. Personally, I don't have anything against US beef or its import. Heck you are looking at a guy who with two of his Korean coworkers consumed pounds of it during a 6 month assignment in Orange County back in 2001. And yes, there is a part of me that wonders whether the protest have gone a bit far, but still there's also a part of me that wonders whether we have been too quick to dismiss the protests as "left wing loonies" or "ignorant mob". OK so let's take this whole candlelight apart and see what's there.

(SITE NOTE: We feel that this is a make-or-break issue for the progressive element. This is why the progressive parties have joined in unison to block the opening of the National Assembly and are staking their reputations on a win. The Hanchongryeon -- which is under direct attack by the NIS and DSC with one of its own on trial in May -- saw its leadership in tatters in April when they couldn't elect a president. That is why they have reinvented their "storm troopers" (people in Army fatigues), but this time not the raw freshmen and sophmores but the seasoned juniors and seniors. We are not sure if they are acting as coordinators of the master confrontation plans or as shock troops to lead the others into the first assault. Their presence in the front ranks of every confrontation seems to indicate that they are the coordinators -- with the real "shock troops" in civilian attire directly behind. These are the first rate trouble makers. We have monitored and documented how they have involved themselves in the protests in May and June. Their primary goal is to rise to the leadership position of the student movement in the 10 June 1987 anniversary of the fall of the Chun Doo-hwan regime -- or more truthfully, when Chun Doo-hwan said he would not run for office and supported Roh Tae-woo -- who only won because the factions of Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-pil slit each others throats and split the vote. Whether the Hanchongryeon succeeds is an unknown -- but a lot of propaganda has been put out to the students. Also note that when the students attack, there is martial or nationalistic music being piped in to crowds courtesy of the Hanchongryeon sound trucks. These are not leaders for democracy -- they are proponents of anarchy. Unfortunately, they find an eager following of youth who are steeped in the mystique of student freedom fighters that is more fiction than fact.

The progressive activist groups have again banded together under a COVER GROUP which means they get to hide their identities. Unfortunately, their well-known leaders are prominent in the forefront with the exception of the anti-war and Unification leaders as their faces are too well-known -- and would ursurp Kang Ki-gap as the leader of this movement. The farmers' groups have kept a low profile as a group in the recent protests under the COVER GROUP though some elements did get violent in isolated incidents. What is gratifying is that they still have not pulled out the anti-US trick out of the hat with the flag burnings and other shenanigans. However, one must wait till June 13th to see what they pull out of their bag of tricks.)

The common perception here in the Hole is that Koreans hate US beef and that Koreans think Hanwoo is superior. A diehard Korean nationalist will give you that answer and yes you will get that answer from some ordinary Koreans. Now if one were to ask a Korean about their preference, and prod them further some will admit that US beef is tastier, has better texture, and cheaper to boot. So then why all this anti-US beef rhetoric? And why this I rather buy more expensive Hanwoo thingy? Well the answer is simple. Nationalism and preference for things Korean, aside BSE. But, some if not most Koreans(protestors included) aren't rejecting the US beef altogether. What they are rejecting is the beef they believe to be risky. Namely 30 month or older , brain, spine, you get the idea.

(SITE NOTE: The whole mess deals with all the conflicting misinformation in trying to understand a risk-assessment system that is already mind-boggling. The bottomline is that "yes" there is a greater risk from beef above 30-month WITH THE VERTEBRAE ATTACHED. The EUROPEAN UNION makes them cut out the vertebrae from all animals above 30-months -- meaning T-bone steaks only come from 30-month and below cattle. However, the meat of the 30-month old cattle WITHOUT THE VERTEBRAE ATTACHED is still fit for human consumption. This is the standard that the rest of the world is using now. Enough...my head hurts thinking about this mess -- and that is how the Koreans feel.)

Now some Koreans(protestors included) know that you won't drop like flies when one eats US beef, that there is no scientific evidence to prove conclusively that you get your brain melted by eating US beef, and that the OEI has concluded that US beef meets the standards. But the Koreans are asking when it comes to US beef that is 30 months or older, how do I know for sure it is safe? And this is where the whole thing begins.

Case in point. One of the KorAm commentator here stated that he has been eating US beef for years and that he is fine. And there was a press conference held by KorAm community leaders that stated that US beef was safe for Koreans to consume. OK KorAms know America and US beef for that matter better than Koreans so OK nothing to worry about, end of matter. Well, not exactly. My wife's aunt who is a US citizen came to visit recently. My mother-in-law asked her about the US beef thing and she responded by saying that they don't buy beef in the States anymore, because they don't trust it. Also recently, a KorAm housewife supposedly came forward and said on national TV that after the recent case of Californian meat workers using forklifts to force cows to walk, that "even Americans don't trust their own beef". She also said that the KorAm community leaders did not consult with the community before they made their "US beef is safe" press conference. Now the average Korean is saying "hey even the kyopos are saying different things, so, is it safe or not?" And since the average Korean isn't too sure, they are taking the safe side. Now enter LMB.

When LMB decided to open the doors real wide, people naturally got angry. Because they were expecting the President to think things through, listen to the concerns of the average Korean before opening the gates. But LMB in truly bulldozer style more or less bulldozed the whole things through. The average Korean who wanted to be on the safe side is now angry that the President doesn't care about that and that he hasn't and isn't listening. So this isn't enitrely about US beef, it isn't entirely about the great US beef conspiracy, it's mostly about Koreans wanting LMB to at least listen to their concerns and not bulldoze things down their throats. That's why thousands of people are taking to the streets every night. Of course among those crowds are the occasional lefty and people who are there just for the fun of it. To be fair, even if LMB had been more careful with the beef issue, he wouldn't have prevented the protests, but at the least they would have been small scale and wouldn't have garnered too much interest like the ones last year when US beef imports were briefly resumed.

(SITE NOTE: Personally we were in favor of Park Geun-hee as the next President, but Lee did some awful underhanded stuff to gain the nomination of the GNP. Then he is continuing to plow through his Grand Canal scheme by delaying, shifting it to other ministries, looking for private sector funding, gaining the local government support because they will be getting all the construction monies -- in the face of the Korean people from all ranks condemning the project. It is of the same scale as the Saemangeum Project in Kunsan/Puan that turned into a massive boondoggle. Lee Myeong-bak will not listen to the people and politically can't be trusted. HOWEVER, this talk of impeachment is nonsense. The progressives are running around blaming him for all the woes that Roh Moo-hyun brought down upon Korea. LMB has only been in office 100-days and for Christsake the people blathering at the mouths are the exact people who created this mess in the first place -- the URI PARTY which is now incorporated into the UDP as unified progressives.)

Now you might ask, why are the protestors not going against Aussie, Kiwi, and Korean beef? Well, the Aussie and NZ governments, IMO have done a good job of planting the image of their respective beef being safe and clean. It isn't too hard to see the familiar Aussie beef logo and the slogan that says that they are grain fed, and so on. Also those two countries haven't had a case of BSE, yet. Same for Korean beef. But that doesn't mean Korean beef is sacred. Sometime during the 90s, a case of foot and mouth disease broke about among Korean cows, and Koreans stopped buying Korean beef. It was after a massive publicity campaign that involved images of top government officials eating yukhae(seasoned raw beef) and after of course the disease being supposedly controlled did Koreans go back to Korean beef.

(SITE NOTE: During this controversy in May, they already brewed up some 2,000 bowls of Korean beef soup to woo the customers back to Korean beef. As to the Aussie and Kiwi beef we have been wondering for years who stood to gain from this nonsense. The Korean farmer SEEMS to benefit, but in actuality they are starving. The middle men and retail butchers are rip off artists, but they aren't making that much. This is something that is between the Customs quarantine sections and the US -- with only the Aussies and Kiwis benefitting. I am not saying that this is true -- only that no one seems to dare questioning whether the customs inspection bank accounts are becoming fat on graft. No one wants to publically ask the question -- for it would open up such a bucket of worms that it would raise a stink Korea-wide. If you couldn't trust them on beef, how could you trust them on any other foodstuff coming into the country?)

Now this entry isn't intended to defend the protests and the protestors. And yes there are a lots of holes and missing links. I am simply stating that there's more it to than a bunch of leftist loonies whipping up the crowd to a frenzy and so forth. Hopefully this whole thing will blow over and all this beef thingy will become a memory for all of us.