May 30, 2005

South Korea's ban on US beef to be lifted in the near future

According to South Korean agriculture officials, the ban on United States imported beef could be lifted as early as next month.  This was in light of easing concerns over safety from mad cow disease.

Korean officials said while Seoul has expressed its intention to lift the ban, it may take months before US beef is allowed on the Korean market due to certain technical problems.

According to Park Hyun-chool, a director at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MOAF), trade representatives will meet several times to negotiate sanitary conditions and other safety issues if experts on both sides agree that US beef is safe for consumption. The enhanced US quarantine system to prevent mad cow disease, will also be inspected by a Korean delegation. This is necessary for the US to export beef to South Korea again.

Korea was the third-largest importer of US beef after Japan and Mexico before the outbreak when countries stopped US beef imports.