September 20, 2007

South Korean protest mounts over US beef

Some 7,000 South Korean cattle farmers protested the government's pending free-trade agreement with the United States near the National Assembly in Seoul on Tuesday (September 18).

The Agence France Presse (AFP) reported South Korea passed the pact to parliament for approval on September 7.

The demonstrators, largely members of the Korea Beef Associations denounced the government for potentially allowing unlimited imports of US beef in an effort to ratify the pact.

US lawmakers have said they will reject it unless Seoul fully reopens its market to US beef.

Farmers and activists have periodically protested the free-trade accord during its 10-month negotiation process, but most opinion polls indicate a majority of South Koreans support it, according to AFP.