The document, which covers the results of a Nov. 17 ministerial meeting on resuming U.S. beef imports, states that existing limits on beef from American cattle aged 30 months or older would be retained in the first stage. But Korea would fully accept the OIE standards once the U.S. implemented recommendations by the international body to ban livestock feed containing animal parts, not only for cattle but also for pigs and chicken. The OIE standards permit import of all parts of a cow, except for special risk materials for BSE, regardless of a cattle’s age. In the end, the document states that Korea would import American beef even from cattle aged over 30 months if Washington implements the OIE’s animal feed regulations. Since then, the U.S. government announced it would expand efforts to stop giving livestock feed containing animal parts.

The Democratic Party said Roh rejected this plan, which was not implemented. But on March 29 last year, when Korea-U.S. free trade talks were in their final stage, Roh spoke with U.S. President George W. Bush over the phone and promised that Seoul would take steps to resume U.S. beef imports according to the recommendations of the OIE.

In an address to the nation on April 3, when the Korea-U.S. FTA was signed, Roh said he promised Bush that Seoul would respect the OIE’s standards and open Korea’s beef market to a reasonable level and finalize that process in a reasonable period of time. Roh openly confirmed on two separate occasions that Korea would open its market to U.S. beef in the near future according to OIE standards that do not put limits on a cattle’s age. This is why the U.S. Embassy said the beef accord reached with the present administration is the same in content as what the former administration promised.

Roh made this promise to Washington, yet did not take steps to open his country’s market until his tenure ended, passing on the responsibility to the next president. There’s no telling why Roh did this. Perhaps he intended to sabotage the next administration or was weary of losing voters ahead of the general election.

Roh had said he would make sure his successor would not be able to change what he has set in motion: this is exactly what happened. But Roh effectively neglected the Korea-U.S. FTA, which he himself initiated and signed. He promised Washington Korea would import U.S. beef regardless of the cattle’s age and left office without doing so, and lawmakers with the ruling party of the time were busy following behind the anti-beef protesters.