Roh said he wanted to tell such politicians to stop being dishonest. In other words, he was saying that a trade-dependent country like Korea has to import American beef, and it is dishonest to claim that such meat came from cattle infected with mad cow disease. Roh was saying such politicians knew U.S. beef does not come from cattle infected with mad cow disease, but were spreading lies to incite the public for political gain.

Considering the level of education and the exposure to foreign cultures of the creators of the TV expose that started the mad cow scare and the politicians who climbed on this bandwagon, can they really believe U.S. beef comes from cattle infected with mad cow disease? Most of them have traveled to the U.S., while there are those among them who have grown used to life in America during study programs there. They probably gave no thought to mad cow disease while they ate U.S. beef there. It makes one think there must be an ulterior, political motive behind their actions.

Roh was anything but soft on the U.S. when it came to bilateral issues. He began his presidential campaign by saying there was “nothing wrong with being anti-American.” And right after stepping into office, he pursued the closure of the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command. He spared no words in talks with U.S. officials, living up to his creed that he will say anything that needs to be said. And such words rattled the Korea-U.S. alliance. But even this man felt that fears over mad cow disease stemming from U.S. beef imports were totally groundless.