Attention is focused on whether an additional beef import deal with the United States can calm public outcry over the risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. Seoul and Washington said over the weekend that the United States has agreed not to export beef to South Korea from cattle older than 30 months. The agreement came as tens of thousands of students, housewives, workers and the self-employed were calling for imports of meat from cattle younger than 30 months.
According to the deal struck after intensive talks between South Korean Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon and U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab, the two countries will introduce a quality system assessment (QSA) program to ban exports of meat from cattle aged over 30 months to South Korea. The program means that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will verify meatpackers' voluntary ban on such meat to help ease Korean consumers' mad cow scare.
The U.S. has also committed to refraining from shipping brains, skulls, eyes and spinal cord marrow of cattle younger than 30 months to South Korea, although such parts are not classified as specified risk materials (SRMs) susceptible to mad cow disease. It is fortunate that Washington has agreed on such measures to ensure the safety of American beef. U.S. officials must have realized that the ongoing protests against the April 18 beef deal, which calls for a full opening of the Korean market, will bring a huge loss to American cattle breeders.
Cheong Wa Dae said Saturday that the additional deal exceeds previous expectations, adding that it would help end public distrust and relieve consumers of their concerns about beef safety. The presidential office even claimed that the country will be able to secure its ``quarantine sovereignty'' to a considerable degree. President Lee and his policymakers ought to make concerted efforts to persuade people to have improved confidence in the new measures.
If the government fails to solve the beef issue through dialogue and persuasion, Lee might be plunged into a deeper political crisis. The underlying problem is the loss of public trust in his leadership and decision-making process. The President must keep in mind that the public uproar over the beef market opening and mad cow risks served only as a conduit for their anger and frustration over Lee's management of state affairs.
Regrettably, South Koreans are still divided over the resumption of American beef imports. Protesters have pledged to continue their candlelight vigils to call for renegotiations of the deal in order to strictly regulate American beef imports for the sake of food safety. Especially, their fears about mad cow show little signs of subsiding because the age verification program is a temporary measure to placate demonstrators.
Schwab said Korean beef importers and U.S. exporters have reached the latest deal as a transitional measure to improve Korean consumer confidence in American beef. She made clear that the original April beef accord, which guarantees full U.S. access to the Korean market, is still effective. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether the new measures will be enough to solve the beef dispute this time.