News & Events | Anti-U.S. Beef Sentiment Reaches Fever Pitch

South Korea

Anti-U.S. Beef Sentiment Reaches Fever Pitch

Anti-U.S. beef import sentiment in South Korea reached a fever pitch this week as a loose coalition of trade opponents galvanized tens of thousands of Korean bloggers to express their dissatisfaction with the U.S. beef import re-access pact announced on April 18. By today (May 2) the Web site calling for President Lee Myung Bak’s impeachment because of the U.S. beef deal had logged more than 570,000 endorsements from Korean Web surfers, according to Korea’s media. Opposition lawmakers, such as maverick legislator and ex-farmer Kang Ki-Kab, have found new public support for their argument that the recent U.S. beef deal was concluded too hastily and without full consideration of the safety of the general public.

The biggest wave of anti-U.S. beef sentiment began after the MBC television network aired a documentary highlighting what it portrayed as loopholes in the U.S. beef production system on April 9. The broadcast aired images of animal mistreatment from the recent Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company incident in California, which, according to USMEF-Korea, has been particularly effective at energizing citizen interest in the issue. USMEF-Korea notes that mainstream politicians are utilizing the U.S. beef access issue as a platform in their overall opposition to President Lee's new administration. In the past, voices against U.S. beef were led mainly by non-government organizations.

In response to growing public anxiety and concern over how the public's outcry against U.S. beef may influence the ratification of the Free Trade Agreement, Korea's Minister of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery held a press briefing on the safety of U.S. beef Friday afternoon. "U.S. beef is safe from mad cow disease," Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Chung Woon-chun said at a televised news conference attended by the health minister and other officials.

He defended the Korean decision to open to U.S. beef on scientific grounds, arguing that previous hard-line positions were part of a negotiating strategy designed to squeeze concessions from U.S. negotiators. USMEF-Korea notes that early coverage by the mainstream media was balanced.

An estimated 10,000 South Koreans gathered in Seoul late Friday to peacefully protest the government's decision to resume U.S. beef imports. A further gauge of the extent of public anxiety will come Saturday night when anti-U.S. beef forces hold a candlelight vigil in the center of Seoul.

In the meantime, President Lee issued a rallying cry yesterday to fellow Grand National Party members, urging them to speak up in support of the beef agreement. A public hearing on the U.S. beef issue in the National Assembly is scheduled for May 7, when the agriculture minister will address the National Assembly on the details of the re-opening and answer questions.

At the same time, the ministry says it will offer support to local cattle farmers. Assistance programs were announced just after the U.S. beef agreement was made public on April 18, but producers have been vocal with their dissatisfaction. Korean cattle prices recorded their largest drop in years over the last two weeks, following the announcement of the U.S. beef trade agreement. Korea's cattle herd currently stands at 2.2 million head, far above the 1.48 million head at the end of 2003 when Korea banned U.S. beef imports.

NOTE: USMEF in South Korea is working with local media to help manage the nonscientific discussion regarding the safety of U.S. beef. If U.S. producers or processors are contacted by South Korean media during this sensitive time, we would encourage you to contact USMEF (jherlihy@usmef.org) so that we can brief you on the issues and provide assistance.