By Kim Yon-se, Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporters

Opposition party officials will likely complain face-to-face to President Lee Myung-bak over the administration's decision to allow imports of U.S. beef irrespective of it containing bone or the age of the cattle.

Lee is scheduled to hold a luncheon meeting at Cheong Wa Dae Thursday with leaders from the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) as well as the pro-government Grand National Party (GNP).

``The President plans to explain to participants the detailed results of his summits with U.S. President George W. Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda,'' presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan told reporters Wednesday.

The UDP and two other opposition parties, meanwhile, agreed to hold a hearing on the resumption of U.S. beef imports during a National Assembly session opening Friday.

The governing GNP criticized the opposition alliance, calling it ``politically lewd.''

The UDP has criticized Lee for having yielded the country's quarantine rules on U.S. beef as a ``gift'' to Bush.

At the Cheong Wa Dae meeting, UDP officials are expected to propose the President revise the policy to fully open the beef market to U.S. products.

The main opposition party is moving to ask Lee to renegotiate, urging the government to secure the nation's livestock ``quarantine sovereignty.''

Interestingly, the GNP, which welcomes Lee's decision, proposed a televised debate between the UNP, government officials and the GNP on the issue of beef imports.

Suggesting the debate, GNP Chairman Kang Jae-sup insisted that the UDP is struggling to exploit public opinion and politicize the American beef deal.

The pro-government GNP is out of favor with the people who are criticizing Lee's government for neglecting the risks of mad cow disease.

President Lee has said, ``If you don't like U.S. beef, you don't have to buy it (even after the full market opening).''

A civic group official said, ``Lee's remark is nonsense. Koreans would likely eat the beef regardless of their willingness to consume it as it might be contained in Korean noodles (or ramyeon) in the form of paste. They wouldn't even know if it was American, Korean or Australian.''

In the U.S., only one out of every 1,000 slaughtered cows is inspected for mad disease. The U.S. government had inspected one in 100 but recently reduced the number.

kys@koreatimes.co.kr
ksy@koreatimes.co.kr