By Cho Jin-seo
Staff Reporter

Trade representatives of South Korea and the United States recently exchanged letters confirming that Seoul can stop imports of U.S. beef if an outbreak of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), occurs.

The letters were disclosed to sooth public concerns on the safety of the beef, which has provoked a series of street rallies by civic activists and students. It needs to be seen whether this letter can calm the strident public outcry, which called for a ban on beef from U.S. cattle older than 30 months ― a widely recognized age guideline for safety.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Wednesday showed a letter from U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab, which said ``each nation has the right to protect its citizens from health and safety risks'' in accordance with guidelines of the General Agreement on Tariffs on Trade (GATT) and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

``The United States takes public health and safety concerns very seriously and believes the requirements contain appropriate standards and procedures to ensure the safety of imported U.S. beef,'' Schwab said in her letter to Kim Jong-hoon, the trade minister of South Korea.

She also said the United States will not allow the export of specified risk materials (SRMs), which are prohibited from sale to U.S. consumers.

``I understand that concerns have been raised that the definition of specified risk materials under the requirements may be different from the applicable definition under corresponding U.S. regulations,'' she said.

``U.S. regulations require that SRMs, as defined under corresponding U.S. regulations, be removed from all beef or beef products, whether they are intended for domestic consumption or export to another country.

``If any beef or beef product arrives in Korea that Korean veterinary inspectors determine does no satisfy prevailing U.S. regulations on SRM removal, the United States recognizes that Korea has the right to take necessary measures as provided for in paragraphs 23 and 24 of the requirements,'' she said.

Opposition leaders were not as enthusiastic to the development.

``The government should not end this negotiation with this minor change. It should go through the whole agreement and revise it,'' said Choi Jae-sung, spokesman of the opposition United Democratic Party. The party has been calling for a ban on imports of beef from cattle older than 30 months.

Minister Kim indicated that he does not agree with the skepticism on the safety of the older beef.

``We know that public sentiment is that we should not take beef from cattle older than 30 months. But I think that it would be better if this public sentiment was based on solid scientific evidence,'' he said.

indizio@koreatimes.co.kr