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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.
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.
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.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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