bhaktajan Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Thousands Protest US Beef in South Korea. By HYUNG-JIN KIM, AP Posted: 2008-06-11 07:58:08 Filed Under: World News SEOUL, South Korea (June 11) - South Korea's president said Wednesday that his government will make a fresh start, hours after an estimated 80,000 people gathered in the South Korean capital in the largest demonstration yet against the planned resumption of U.S. beef imports. But President Lee Myung-bak warned that dismissing his entire Cabinet might cause "a vacuum in state affairs" amid rising oil prices and other economic difficulties. <!-- MOD: mod_lightboxgallery - 344311 -->Protesters Take to the Streets <CITE>Ahn Young-joon, AP</CITE> An estimated 80,000 people took part in the biggest rally yet against lifting restrictions on U.S. beef imports in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday. Beef has been restricted there over fears of mad cow disease. <!-- MOD: info_genericpromo - 344317 --> Also See: McDonald's Takes a Hit Amid Beef Protests "I thought about a lot of things while watching protests last night," Lee told leaders of small companies Wednesday morning, according to South Korean media pool reports. "The government intends to make a start with a new determination." The government agreed in April to lift almost all restrictions that had been imposed on imports of U.S. beef over fears of mad cow disease. Opponents of the plan worry it does not do enough to protect citizens. Lee's prime minister and the rest of his Cabinet have tendered their resignations in an attempt to defuse the weeks of protests over the decision that have paralyzed Lee's government. The president has not said whether he will accept the resignations. South Korean media have reported Lee was considering naming Park Geun-hye, his popular chief rival in the ruling party, as prime minister to win back public confidence. Presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said appointing Park is one of several options being considered to resolve the crisis. The rally, which continued into early Wednesday, coincided with the anniversary of pro-democracy protests in 1987, which eventually led the country's military-backed regime to introduce direct presidential elections. No clashes or injuries were reported in the Seoul rally. Police said they arrested about 20 protesters on charges of occupying major Seoul streets and causing traffic congestion. Lee, a pro-American conservative, agreed in April just before a summit with President Bush to reopen the country's beef market - resolving the issue that had long been an irritant in bilateral ties. South Korea was the third-largest overseas customer for U.S. beef until it banned imports after a case of mad cow disease - the first of three confirmed in the U.S. - was detected in 2003. Lee's government said it has asked the U.S. not to export beef from older cattle, considered at greater risk for the disease. But Lee has rejected calls for a complete renegotiation of the accord, citing possible diplomatic and trade disputes with the U.S. "We're not considering a renegotiation," South Korean Deputy Trade Minister Ahn Ho-young told reporters Wednesday. "If we break our promise, the consequences are enormous. South Korea will become an unreliable country." Both Seoul and Washington insist U.S. beef is safe, citing the Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health. Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL. 2008-06-11 06:35:37 ------------------ <!-- MOD: mod_trricomment - 236937 --><!-- Article comment Module --> Recent Comments 1 - 10 of 173 --------------- tr00man 09:46:57 AM Jun 11 2008 blksheep575 09:41:47 AM Jun 11 2008 Report This! sounds like like they're as neuratic about their food as we are; arn't they vegitarian or somthing anyway? whats their beef, (nyuk,nyuk,nyuk!) from trooman i think they have been eating fish for a long time, and it might be all a scheme by the fishing industry to try to shut off the beef industry, to keep their local fishermen working, instead of the US cattle farmer....... BUT, that is just a guess, a possibility.......... I think alot of beef is new to their culture, and someone is organizing against it..... could even be another foreign country with cattle......... swasdiva 09:46:16 AM Jun 11 2008 tr00man - you whiny, ignorant simpleton, did I ever say anything about free trade or not worrying about our economy? In fact, I specifically stated my worries how this would affect OUR ECONOMY. If nixing the beef exports to South Korea drives down the prices here and funds Kumbaya campfires in the U.S. beef industry, I'm all for it, but I don't think it's as simple as that. For this to even be an issue it has to have a great impact on the U.S. beef industry, and I would like to understand what it is. Besides, I would trust your brilliant economic diatribes more if you would actually use PROPER PUNCTUATION! lakelanierlady 09:44:43 AM Jun 11 2008 LET THE DARN KOREANS STARVE.......AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE SHOULD STOP FEEDING THE REST OF OUR WORLD BECAUSE THEY LAUGH AT US tr00man 09:44:13 AM Jun 11 2008 builtincal 09:40:13 AM Jun 11 2008 Report This! OK, well when they run out of dogs they will be begging for our beef imports. from trooman who else can they get beef from? I think the USA has about the top quality around........ i just think they just don't want beef.... they are surrounded by ocean, they have fish, and fish has been in their diet for many manay years..... Beef is probably putting some of them in culture shock. dunleadogg 09:44:09 AM Jun 11 2008 to all those complaining of high oil prices-- go to google and look up how much oil goes in to producing a pound of beef. GO VEGAN! jeroldrnp 09:43:18 AM Jun 11 2008 uriel you are one of the few people who truly get's it. I agree with Korea.. WE do not want it either and I remember 2003 how rampant mad cow desease became in the USA. The USA Corp denied it all. But Ameria is SCHIZO already and does not need the beef to claim this title. richagrig 09:42:33 AM Jun 11 2008 Let them starve, and quit sending them anything. America has been on the loosing side of everything in the world. It's time we quit helping anyone if they don't want it. The need to destroy anyone who messes with this country should be left up to the military is anyone and I mean anyone messes with this country. We shouldn't have to fight there we have the power to destroy them from Langley, or any of our home bases. If some country doesn't want our help don't give it to them. So what.We don't need to be in there country, they aren't in ours. Visit or live here and follow the rules or get out. Period. mgocean95 09:42:28 AM Jun 11 2008 Those people are paranoid for sure and have OCD tr00man 09:41:54 AM Jun 11 2008 okmusic 09:37:15 AM Jun 11 2008 Report This! If George Bush tries to work with other countries he is guilty of not caring enough for this country. When he tries to defend and protect this country he is called an imperialist. The elite Democrats along with their cohorts in the media will make sure that President Bush is never given credit for anything that he does right, but most assuredly will exacerbate every detail of anything they view as being handled incorrectly. The problems in this country today can be traced directly to two things: Deomocrats being voted in to power in both houses of Congress in 2006, and failed Republican leadership in both houses over the past 10 years. For lack of a vision, the people perish. Change, as promised by one of our presidential candidates is never visionary, but reactionary. from trooman it boils down to this...... the country is TOO controlled by K STREET LOBBYIST... they control both parties........ either party promises this, the lobbyist wi blksheep575 09:41:47 AM Jun 11 2008 sounds like like they're as neuratic about their food as we are; arn't they vegitarian or somthing anyway? whats their beef, (nyuk,nyuk,nyuk!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theist Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 I support all beef protests. But this is more of an anti USA beef protest, they just want "clean" beef. Why are those Buddhist monks there? Are they concerned with the cruelty to the cows or do they only want assurances that the cow corpse they consume is free from mad cow disease also. What is their motive. We have to challenge all these so-called religous/holy people on their animal slaughter practices. They like to parade around in their holy man garb while still taking part in acts of extreme cruelty. If you are a Buddhist them you must show compassion otherwise you are just another hypocrite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amlesh Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 I support all beef protests. But this is more of an anti USA beef protest, they just want "clean" beef. Why are those Buddhist monks there? Are they concerned with the cruelty to the cows or do they only want assurances that the cow corpse they consume is free from mad cow disease also. What is their motive. We have to challenge all these so-called religous/holy people on their animal slaughter practices. They like to parade around in their holy man garb while still taking part in acts of extreme cruelty. If you are a Buddhist them you must show compassion otherwise you are just another hypocrite. Rightly said, but trying to make them understand the whole truth seems to be a Herculean Task. The way you (Theist) see things is universal which demands many things to be sacrificed which I suppose these so-called Holy people won't be ready to do so. The extent to which people are free from ego, to that proportion only, their degree of religiosity is seen. We should be thankful to you, that you never lose patience to explain the same things again and again in different ways. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theist Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Thank you Amlesh for the kind words. Haribol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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