'Mad Cow' Fears in South Korea

CHEN:
Fifty thousand South Korean protesters start a 72-hour relay protest. They are against a government move to resume imports of U.S. beef that they say are dangerous.

STORY:
Thousands of people, worried about mad cow disease have held daily protests. They're accusing President Lee of kowtowing to Washington with the beef deal and ignoring safety concerns.

The organizers of the candle-lit vigil said 50,000 people were at the rally in downtown Seoul. The already week-long protest wants U.S. beef imports stopped.

These protesters say they hope the government will pay attention.

[Kim Hyun-lin, Protester]:
"We want to use this opportunity to highlight our opinions to the government, that we will not just sit idle and watch what the government is doing. I'm here to add support to the cause and raise my voice more loudly."

[Na Kyung-se, Protester]:
"This government is not listening to our requests in this rally and it's not taking any serious measures.
The government just expects the protests will die down sooner or later if the rallies are blocked."

President Lee Myung-bak has been clearly caught by surprise by the protests as his popularity has plummeted over the decision. Lee's conservative ruling party suffered a crushing defeat in local by-elections yesterday.

To calm public anger, the government says it will not allow imports of meat from older U.S. cattle, which the public sees as more dangerous.


Before the import ban in 2003, South Korea imported over 200,000 tons of U.S. beef a year, the biggest destination after Japan and Mexico.

The United States says it is willing to work with its Asian ally, but there was no need to renegotiate the deal.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• ntd
• ntdtv
• news
• Mad-Cow
• South-Korea
• government
• Myung-bak
• protesters
• U.S
• beef

[qkyonp]

it's a serious problem

[DungeonsNRabbits]

there's also the pissed off Nationalists that would take any chances to combat America, because of the incident where Korean tax funded American soldiers ran over Korean girls with a tank.

[kigger622]

its just Republic of Korea, North Korea is Democratic People's Republic of Korea

[KYUNGILNAM]

american beef itself is not problematic for them. they just want to overthrow the current government. because they are controlled by leftist media and politicians.

[whitetail54]

where the beef.

[willminkorea]

Now, Koreans are lining up to buy yummy American beef at Lottemart and Emart. They love American beef.

[Ninninvt]

DPRK=Democratic People's Republic of Korea

AKA North Korea. Do you think HE listens to his people?

[ArizonaMtKingsnake]

shortee4204real People in America shouldn't even eat the beef here. The slaughterhouses are filthy and the animals are treated poorly. To slaughter any animal in cold blood for any reason whatsoever is cruel, unhealthy, filthy, and uneccessary. Eat a fucking vegetable damn it. You might feel your heart for once.

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Thats actually true and add the insane amount of antibiotics,"medicine" ,legal steroids,etc the cattle are given

[ArizonaMtKingsnake]

jycgenius I don't understand why South Korea is so called "Democratic Republic of Korea". The government doesn't listen to it's people; instead, they are manipulating them with forces.

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Lol is there ANY GVMT that does listen to its people? We are in theory a democracy but are we in reality?

[ArizonaMtKingsnake]

The real crime is that United states is still in south Korea protecting those vile cowards from North Korea we should have left that country decades ago. Let the North slaughter them