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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."
The Chosun Ilbo has a summary of the issues.
¨çWho should take responsibility?
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 World Organization for Animal Health (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."
¨èRenegotiation
Advocates of renegotiation with the U.S. are calling for a ban on imports of beef from cattle older than 30 months. But this demand runs counter to OIE guidelines. 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.
¨é No guard against renewed outbreak
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.
¨ê Old beef
Some people warn about the safety of beef from cattle slaughtered before May last year, when OIE designated the U.S. as a controlled BSE risk country. But 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.
¨ëSafety of T-bone steak
According to some, the government has not given a full explanation to the public even though Korea agreed to the disadvantageous 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."
¨ìBeef for U.S. domestic consumption and export
There are concerns that the U.S. will export beef which is less safe than that intended for domestic consumption to Korea. The Agriculture Ministry denies this, saying 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.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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