U.S. beef is expected to be sold in department stores and discount outlets nationwide in South Korea, starting August, local retailers said Tuesday.
They said 20 retail chains are preparing to put American beef on their store shelves on Aug. 9 and are buying imported meat in expectation of consumer demand.
"There is an agreement to carry out joint promotional campaigns to reduce the backlash associated with selling U.S. beef," a representative of a discount store said.
The manager, who declined to be identified, said that by working together, department stores and discount outlets hope to deflect attacks by civic groups and cattle farmers that disrupted U.S. beef sales in six Lotte Mart stores last week.
These groups have warned that if Lotte Mart continues to put "unsafe meat" on its shelves they will organize a boycott of all stores run by retailer Lotte Group and products made by the conglomerate. Lotte operates South Korea's largest department store chain and second-largest discount store.