February 2, 2007

US to talk with South Korea on its rejection of American beef imports

South Korea and the United States will hold talks next week to discuss Seoul's rejection of American beef shipments for containing banned bone fragments, the two governments said Friday.

The two-day meeting is scheduled to be held in Seoul beginning Wednesday, South Korea's Agriculture and Forestry Ministry said in a press release. The US Embassy in Seoul also confirmed the plans.

The meeting, described as a 'technical consultation', was requested by US officials and comes as the two sides are at odds over the bone fragment issue, which South Korea fears could potentially harbour mad cow disease. 

The beef issue has emerged as a key sore point between the two countries, which are seeking to forge a free trade agreement.

Assistant US Trade Representative Wendy Cutler said last month the proposed free trade deal would not be achieved unless South Korea fully reopened its market to American beef.

South Korea allowed the resumption of imports late last year on a limited basis - boneless meat only from cattle younger than 30 months - on the grounds that some material inside bones could be dangerous to consume and that younger animals are safe from mad cow disease.

But South Korean quarantine authorities returned all three shipments to the US for containing the tiny bone fragments.

South Korea barred US beef in December 2003 after the first reported US case of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Before the ban, South Korea had been the third largest market for US beef.