Listen to People’s Outcry More Carefully
Dear editor,
I'm writing this letter in response to Andy Jackson's article, ``Rumors, Fears and US Beef,'' published in the June 17 edition of The Korea Times.
He tried to persuade Korean citizens to accept American beef imports unconditionally because there is no problem. To reinforce this he used a quote by Mark Twain, ``A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.''
Personally I doubt whether Jackson's idea is true because he only chooses his opinion on the basis of a pro-government policy.
So what kinds of mistakes did President Lee Myung-bak make for the Korean people? At first he tried to import American beef without any national agreement.
Before Lee visited the United States, there were still many unsolved beef trade disputes between the two countries ― for example, regarding what kinds of beef were to be imported, and how Korea could overcome mad cow disease?
Second, he deceived Korean people regarding the beef import deal.
Third, as a CEO, he considered Korean people for their economic value, which means he hadn't considered their cultural and social lifestyles. He has continued to do this.
Now I ask Mr. Jackson how much he knows about Korean culture. I know most Americans eat only steak, but Koreans eat most parts of a cow.
Korean food culture is closely related to the cow. Cows are not only a part of the family but also a sacrificial food for them.
Following unrestricted American beef imports, Korean citizens are afraid Korean food culture may be completely ruined.
Therefore, President Lee and the U.S. government should have listened to the outcry of citizens more carefully.
Kim Jin-hyun
Seoul